Computational Modeling of Reasoning with Mental Images: Basic Requirements

The interest in the cognitive phenomena linked to mental imagery and to reasoning with mental images has sparked the development of numerous conceptual and computational models from different scientific backgrounds. These models serve to explain cognitive processes or to improve technical reasoning models. Our aim in this paper is to identify a number of requirements that are essential for any computational model of mental imagery. This stocktaking of requirements is useful for the critical assessment of existing models of mental imagery as well as for improving future models. We assess three prevalent computational imagery models and conclude with an outlook on a next generation of imagery models that will implement the set of requirements.