Patent ID: 7643893

Claim:
A system for controlling one or more controllable devices, comprising: a motion capture system to measure one or more motion characteristics of one or more controllable devices as the one or more controllable devices are operating within a control volume, the one or more controllable devices having a plurality of retro-reflective markers positioned thereon in a pattern unique to each of the one or more controllable devices, the motion capture system including a plurality of motion detection devices operatively positioned with respect to the control volume to detect at least some of the retro-reflective markers positioned on the one or more controllable devices and to determine an orientation of each of the at least one controllable device based on a position of the retro-reflective markers; a processing component to receive the one or more motion characteristics from the motion capture system including the orientation of each of the at least one controllable devices, to compare the received motion characteristics with desired motion characteristics, and to determine a command signal based on the compared motion characteristics, wherein the processing component includes: (1) at least one communication network operatively coupled to the motion capture system to transmit the one or more motion characteristics measured by the motion capture system, and (2) an on-board processing component positioned on each of the one or more controllable devices, the on-board processing component to receive the one or more motion characteristics from the at least one communication network, and to determine the command signal; and a position control system to receive the command signal and to adjust at least one motion characteristic of the one or more controllable devices in a closed-loop feedback manner.