Uncanny Valley

The Uncanny Valley is a term referring to the hypothetical state in which a robot, avatar, or other non-human humanoid facsimile is at first received in an increasingly positive and empathic way from interacting humans. However, as it becomes even more realistic, it hits a 'valley', a point where positive response tails of dramatically, and responses of unease, revulsion, and even fright are exhibited instead.

Moreover, when it pushes past this point, and becomes as realistic as a natural face, these negative emotions rapidly vanish and become positive and emotive once again. The strange dip at near realistic, is called the uncanny valley.

Below, we offer a selection of links from our resource databases which may match this term.

Automatonophile Automatonophilia Automatonophobia Biomimetic Locomotion Non-Photorealistic Rendering

NPR Photorealistic Texturing Simulacra Simulacrum

Uncanny Valley

Results by page [1]   [2]   

The depths of the uncanny valley: Getting into the uncanny valley
One part of a three-part series on overcoming the Uncanny Valley from a game developer?s perspective; written in 2006. This second part deals with the workload ahead of anyone trying to defeat the uncanny valley in a virtual world of their own making.

The depths of the uncanny valley: Becoming uncanny
One part of a three-part series on overcoming the Uncanny Valley from a game developer?s perspective; written in 2006. This part looks at the basics, and a short history behind the Uncanny Valley.

The Uncanny Valley
The Uncanny Valley was introduced by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970, as a term referring to the hypothetical valley in which human-like fascimiles suddenly go from 'cute' to 'vile' with almost no warning.

Resource List: Fighting the Uncanny Valley

The Uncanny Valley was introduced by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970, as a term referring to the hypothetical valley in which human-like fascimiles suddenly go from 'cute' to 'vile' with almost no warning.

Large Image Display: The Uncanny Valley
Our look into the original works of Japanese researcher Masahiro Mori and his American counterpart Karl MacDorman, in the mapping out of what we now term the Uncanny Valley, and the nuances within it. Giving hope to the prospect of finally being able to crack the valley and escape it for good.

The depths of the uncanny valley: Dealing with uncanniness
One part of a three-part series on overcoming the Uncanny Valley from a game developer?s perspective; written in 2006. This final part discusses the efforts of others to overcome the valley, and the side effects it has had on the development process.

Bypassing the Uncanny Valley with Hands
In August 2008, the first hand and forearm pairing was achieved which realistically bypasses the uncanny valley for the lower arm, and allows completely realistic movement of the wrist and hand.

Large Image Display: Bicentennial Man: Aging Android
The concept of aging, or the appearance thereof, is a good one. It is an aspect of circumnavigating the uncanny valley that should never be forgotten: No matter how perfectly a human face, behaviour, mannerisms are recreated, unless the face, the body seems to change with time, the uncanny valley has not really been conquered.

The Uncanny Valley: Effect of Realism on the Impression of Artificial Human Faces
A MIT Presence magazine free feature. Roboticists believe that people will have an unpleasant impression of a humanoid robot that has an almost, but not perfectly, realistic human appearance. This is called the uncanny valley, and is not limited to robots, but is also applicable to any type of human-like object, such as dolls, masks, facial caricatures, avatars in virtual reality, and characters in computer graphics movies.

Our uncanny ability to spot a fake
A BBC article on the difficulty of maintaining the metaphor inside virtual space, and the issues with uncanny valley that make CGI realism so elusive.

Results by page [1]   [2]