The article at the link below doesn't necessarily sound all that exciting or difficult, but it is actually both. This project started about 9 years ago and was expected to take about 5 years. It is impossible to overstate the difficulty of introducing leading-edge technologies into an airspace structure that is very resistant to change. And the idea of orchestrating traffic conflicts specifically to generate other conflicts that are supposed to be recognized by the (test) software should make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
Congrats! Now, how about a couple of words regarding the sensors that are being used? Why so mum about how the planes are detecting one another? Radar? ADS-B? TCAS? Something new? Come on, guys (or apparently "ladies" in this case) what hardware is required to make this happen?
http://www.uasmagazine.com/articles/1513/nasa-completes-first-phase-of-tests-readies-for-next-phase
Okay, looks like the answer to the "how did you do that?" question is "All of the above." That provided by NASA in the press release at the link below.
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/two-month-uas-flight-test-series-concludes
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