STRATA Sensor Plugin Architecture

@techreport{hamilton2026strata, author = {Hamilton, Michael P., Ph.D.}, title = {STRATA Sensor Plugin Architecture}, institution = {Canemah Nature Laboratory}, year = {2026}, number = {CNL-TN-2026-044}, month = {april}, url = {https://canemah.org/archive/document.php?id=CNL-TN-2026-044}, abstract = {STRATA 1.0 demonstrated that modular temporal agents can generate meaningful intelligence from heterogeneous sensor streams. However, the current architecture couples each agent to a specific platform through hand-coded queries, summary generators, and context builders. Adding a new sensor platform requires writing a new micro-agent, a new tool endpoint, a new context builder, and wiring them into the orchestrator -- roughly 400-600 lines of platform-specific code per sensor type. This technical note specifies a plugin architecture that replaces this per-platform custom code with a declarative registration contract. A sensor plugin defines what it measures, how its data is structured, and what domain it belongs to. STRATA wraps that declaration with temporal analysis (nine standard windows), pattern detection (SOMA mesh integration), narrative interpretation (AI-generated summaries), and tool-calling endpoints -- automatically, without per-plugin custom code. The result is a system where intelligence is a property of the infrastructure, not of each individual sensor integration. The architecture defines three layers: the Plugin Contract (what a sensor provides), the Intelligence Envelope (what STRATA wraps around it), and the Consumer Interface (what downstream systems receive). Development targets Data as the prototype environment, with Galatea deployment deferred until the architecture stabilizes.} }