Hierarchical Integration

Intelligence in PRIMUS is not found in any single unit, but in the integration of patterns across the hierarchy.

Complexity through Depth

As data moves "up" the hierarchy, it becomes increasingly abstract:

• Level 1: Gabor filters (edges).
• Level 2: Shapes and textures.
• Level 3: Object parts (wheels, windows).
• Level 4: Complete objects (Car).
• Level 5: Scenes and situations (A car in a parking lot).

The Integration Mechanism

A high-level unit "fires" when it receives enough supporting evidence from lower units, and when that evidence fits its internal model of how those parts should relate.

Spatial and Temporal Integration

• Spatial: Integrating features that happen at the same time in different locations (e.g., seeing two wings and a tail).
• Temporal: Integrating features that happen over time (e.g., a sequence of sounds forming a word).

Cross-Modal Integration

PRIMUS allows for integration across different senses. A "Cat" concept can be triggered by a visual image of a cat, the sound of a "meow," or the tactile feel of fur.

Integration with Global Reasoning

The highest levels of the PRIMUS hierarchy interface with the Global Workspace or the AtomSpace. This is where perceptual patterns are turned into symbolic concepts that can be used for logical reasoning and long-term planning.

Advantages of this Architecture

1. Abstraction: The system can reason about "objects" without worrying about individual "pixels."
2. Robustness: Context (top-down) helps resolve ambiguity in noisy data.
3. Efficiency: Lower levels can filter out irrelevant data, so higher levels only process "interesting" patterns.

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