1. An artificial neural system for extracting local image affine flow information from visual stimuli comprising: a) time differentiation means for receiving time-varying image intensity signal and providing image time-derivative signal; b) hypercolumn (HC) reference frame means coupled to said time differentiation means for receiving said image time-derivative signal and providing HC-time-derivative signal; c) hypercolumn (HC) Lie differentiation means for receiving image intensity signal and providing six HC-Lie-derivative signals; d) least square error fitting means coupled to said HC-reference frame means and said HC-Lie differentiation means for receiving HC-time-derivative signal and six HC-Lie-derivative signals and determining local affine flow.