Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a method of changing the connectivity of a Cognitive Architecture for animating an Embodied Agent, which may be a virtual object, digital entity, and/or robot, by applying Mask Variables to Connectors linking computational Modules. Mask Variables may turn Connectors on or off—or more flexibly, they may module the strength of Connectors. Operations which apply several Mask Variables at once put the Cognitive Architecture in different Cognitive Modes of behaviour.

Abstract: Computational structures provide Embodied Agents with memory which can be populated in real time from Experience, and/or or authored. Embodied Agents (which may be virtual objects, digital entities or robots) are provided with one or more Experience Memory Stores which influence or direct the behaviour of the Embodied Agents. An Experience Memory Store may include a Convergence Divergence Zone (CDZ), which simulates the ability of human memory to represent external reality in the form of mental imagery or simulation that can be re-experienced during recall. A Memory Database be generated in a simple, authorable way, enabling Experiences to be learned during live operation of the Embodied Agents or authored. Eligibility-Based Learning determines which aspects from streams of multimodal information are stored in the Experience Memory Store.