Systems and methods for simulating sense data and creating perceptions

A virtual reality system for simulating sense data for virtual beings in virtual environments, the system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• memory;
• and
• one or more programs stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
• defining a first virtual being in a virtual environment, wherein the first virtual being includes:
• a plurality of virtual sensory locations, each virtual sensory location having one or more virtual sensors, wherein each virtual sensor has a respective sensory type and is configured to receive sensory input by one or more respective virtual mediums having the respective sensory type;
• a plurality of virtual sense property locations, each virtual sense property location associated with a respective set of one or more sense properties, each sense property having a respective sensory type;
• and
• a plurality of artificial neural networks processing output from virtual sensors at the plurality of virtual sensory locations;
• defining a virtual object in the virtual environment, wherein the virtual object has a plurality of sense property locations, each sense property location associated with a respective set of one or more sense properties, each sense property having a respective sensory type;
• in accordance with an interaction between the virtual being and the virtual object, receiving sensory input at a first virtual sensor at a first virtual sensory location using a first virtual medium according to a first sense property of the virtual object at a first virtual sense property location, wherein the first virtual sensor, the first virtual medium, and the first sense property have a same sensory type;
• and
• in accordance with the received sensory input, using a first artificial neural network to translate the received sensory input into (i) updates to one or more configuration parameters corresponding to resolution and/or dynamic range of virtual sensors of the first virtual being and/or (ii) movement of the virtual being, wherein the one or more configuration parameters corresponding to the resolution and/or dynamic range include one or more hyper-parameters of the first artificial neural network, and updating the hyper-parameters modifies ability of the first virtual sensor and/or the first artificial neural network to process sensory input from the first virtual medium when there is an interaction with the first virtual sensor using the first sense property.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computer system having one or more processors and memory, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

• defining a first virtual being in a virtual environment, wherein the first virtual being includes:
• a plurality of virtual sensory locations, each virtual sensory location having one or more virtual sensors, wherein each virtual sensor has a respective sensory type and is configured to receive sensory input by one or more respective virtual mediums having the respective sensory type;
• a plurality of virtual sense property locations, each virtual sense property location associated with a respective set of one or more sense properties, each sense property having a respective sensory type;
• and
• a plurality of artificial neural networks processing output from virtual sensors at the plurality of virtual sensory locations;
• defining a virtual object in the virtual environment, wherein the virtual object has a plurality of virtual sense property locations, each virtual sense property location associated with a respective set of one or more sense properties, each sense property having a respective sensory type;
• in accordance with an interaction between the virtual being and the virtual object, receiving sensory input at a first virtual sensor at a first virtual sensory location using a first virtual medium according to a first sense property of the virtual object at a first virtual sense property location, wherein the first virtual sensor, the first virtual medium, and the first sense property have a same sensory type;
• and
• in accordance with the received sensory input, using a first artificial neural network to translate the received sensory input into (i) updates to one or more configuration parameters corresponding to resolution and/or dynamic range of virtual sensors of the first virtual being and/or (ii) movement of the virtual being, wherein the one or more configuration parameters corresponding to the resolution and/or dynamic range include one or more hyper-parameters of the first artificial neural network, and updating the hyper-parameters modifies ability of the first virtual sensor and/or the first artificial neural network to process sensory input from the first virtual medium when there is an interaction with the first virtual sensor using the first sense property.