Physical System Summary

A minimal Stored purpose computer consists of two archiving hosts and an interface instrument running the following agent classes a.boot, a.nexus and a.archive.

Kernels

Kernels are minimal enablers that make it possible for the Operating System to run on each Instrument type. They provide an interface between logic and the underlying technology(1). Kernels must be very small and reliable.

Metacomputing OS

Currently, the Automation Appliance reference platform has no distinct operating system. Development requires a build of kernels, communications primitives, memory propagation, core agent templates, core knowledge, core technology and base instrument services.

Synthetic File System

The Synthetic File System (SFS) integrates logical, symbolic and objective information as a single metaphysical directory. It simplifies logic processing by contextually abstracting information, such that an agent request to “turn on the light,” will always work.

The synthetic file system is the bridge between Stored Purpose logic and the metaphysical world. It allows all parts of the system to evaluate both physical states, such as sensor data, and metaphysical states such as knowledge. Understanding the SFS requires a basic understanding of the Stored Purpose’ existence model. Each agent exists based upon a Platonic definition of its knowledge and Purpose called Identity. The technology of the metacomputer serves as the central nervous system of the agent. An agent uses its nervous system’s logical and physical appendages to pursue Goals and align measured states with the right states known to its Identity.

For example, an agent reads sensed data via SFS and might detect by reading a directory called “table” that a newly purchased cup of yogurt rests “within” it. The agent can also read its knowledge of yogurt as a directory in the SFS. It can then compare the two yogurts, one sensed and one known, to determine if they compare. The agent will literally determine if the two yogurts sound alike. If they do not, the agent will attempt to correct the “wrongness” with the sensed yogurt and pursue a goal that will ultimately ensure the cup is placed in a refrigerator.

In the SFS, all system resources are represented by files. The metacomputer supports multiple metacomputer views. The master view is called the Network SFS (nSFS), which represents the entirety of known symbols and objects known to the metacomputer. This view is useful only for diagnostic action. The most common view is resource SFS (rSFS), which represents the total attributes and capabilities of an Agent or soma, the final view is local SFS (lSFS), which represents the total attributes and capabilities of an Instrument.

Communications Architecture

Instruments communicate over various wired and wireless media. Each instrument is typically configured with four bands of communication:

• Coordination - For “in” metacomputer context propagation, SFS coordination and Plan propagation. This is a low latency, low bandwidth link.
• Media - For “in” metacomputer media propagation. This is a high bandwidth link.
• Public Media - For internet, telecommunications, fatline/skinnyline (metacomputer-to-metacomputer) connections.
• Semantic Communication - This is an indirect form of communication for devices operating in sensor proximity.
  

Communications configurations will vary based upon the solution requirements. Transportation and metropolitan solutions may require custom radio frequency (RF), enterprise office systems will employ standards based 802.11x and 802.15.4.

Example Communications Implementation

The test physical implementation, 802.15.4 low power controllers were integrated with the overall metacomputer architecture on personal mobile and remote low power wireless machine control instruments. All host instruments exchanged plan, intent and status data using homogeneous Layer 2 & 3 IP communications.

Architecture was tested with coordination communications over 802.15.4 ultra-low power mesh radios. This architecture also supports seamless communication over Ethernet, IP, WWAN and wireless LAN. Media transfer was by mature 802.11g communications.

This shows the metacomputer architecture from the point of view of the low power communications stack and the major hardware components of the low power modules both connected and remote and the software networking stack for low power communications.


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¹ Current prototypes use Linux 2.6, Cuda and Contiki kernels on x86, nVidia, TI-OMAP, and TI-CC430.