Abstract: An invention is disclosed for a real time video analytic processor that embodies algorithms and processing architectures that process a wide variety of sensor images in a fashion that emulates how the human visual path processes and interprets image content. spatial, temporal, and color content of images are analyzed and the salient features of the images determined. These salient features are then compared to the salient features of objects of user interest in order to detect, track, classify, and characterize the activities of the objects. Objects or activities of interest are annotated in the image streams and alerts of critical events are provided to users. Instantiation of the cognitive processing can be accomplished on multi-FPGA and multi-GPU processing hardwares.