The document discusses the phenomenon of the "uncanny valley" where humanoid robots that are close to, but not perfectly human-like, tend to elicit feelings of unease, revulsion or discomfort. It provides examples of robots at different points on the spectrum from industrial robots to highly humanoid robots. It also explores some potential explanations for the uncanny valley effect, including the idea that imperfect human replicas trigger cognitive dissonance by challenging concepts of human uniqueness and identity.
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The Uncanny Valley - BarCamp Canberra
1. The Uncanny Valley:
“That frakkin’ toaster is freaking me out!”
By Ruth Ellison
Twitter: @RuthEllison
For BarCamp Canberra #2
On 28th March 2009
2. Chocolate appreciator
Work at Stamford Interactive
Usability person
Information architect
Loves gadgets
User experience person
Robot lover
I’m Ruth
3. What this presentation is
about...
Take a very brief look at different
types of robots
Look at the Uncanny Valley
phenomenon
4. Disclaimer
I’m not a roboticist
But I’m fascinated by human-robot /
human-computer interactions
5. What is a robot?
“A robot is a virtual or mechanical
artificial agent. In practice, it is
usually an electro-mechanical
system which, by its appearance or
movements, conveys a sense that it
has intent or agency of its own.”
- Wikipedia
6. This is a robot
ABB Assembly Line Robot By avramc from http://www.flickr.com/photos/28695713@N00/445073590/
Available under a Creative Commons Attribution‐Noncommercial‐Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
7. This is a robot
Source: http://www.zcars.com.au/images/knight‐rider‐kitt1.jpg
8. These are not robots
Robot Attack! By Dan Coulter from http://www.flickr.com/photos/dancoulter/21042744/
Available under a Creative Commons Attribution‐Noncommercial‐Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
23. The Uncanny Valley
As robots appear more human like,
they appear more familiar.
Almost human can seem almost
strange and eerie – causes a
response of revulsion.
24. Based on Masahiro Mori and Karl F. MacDorman graph
Uncanny Valley graph
Healthy human
Uncanny valley Cylon
+ ‘skin‐jobs’
Humanoid
Repliee Q2 &
robot
familiarity
similar robots
Cylon raider
Industrial Michael Jackson
robot
Human likeness
‐ Zombie
25. Why does it exist?
Quite a few theories
Looking at a subset of theories today:
Shared circuits for empathy
Cognitive dissonance of liminal objects
Sources:
1. A Walk in the Valley of the Uncanny ‐ http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=853
2. MacDorman, K. F., Green, R. D., Ho, C.‐C., & Koch, C. (in press). Too Real for Comfort? Uncanny responses to computer generated faces. Computers in Human Behavior.
26. Shared circuits for empathy
Sources:
1. A Walk in the Valley of the Uncanny ‐ http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=853
2. MacDorman, K. F., Green, R. D., Ho, C.‐C., & Koch, C. (in press). Too Real for Comfort? Uncanny responses to computer generated faces. Computers in Human Behavior.
27. Shared circuits for empathy
Sources:
1. A Walk in the Valley of the Uncanny ‐ http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=853
2. MacDorman, K. F., Green, R. D., Ho, C.‐C., & Koch, C. (in press). Too Real for Comfort? Uncanny responses to computer generated faces. Computers in Human Behavior.
28. Cognitive dissonance of liminal
objects
Artificial human forms signify a
challenge to our uniqueness and
identity
Sources:
1. A Walk in the Valley of the Uncanny ‐ http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=853
2. MacDorman, K. F., Green, R. D., Ho, C.‐C., & Koch, C. (in press). Too Real for Comfort? Uncanny responses to computer generated faces. Computers in Human Behavior.
29. Cognitive dissonance of liminal
objects
Sources:
1. A Walk in the Valley of the Uncanny ‐ http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=853
2. MacDorman, K. F., Green, R. D., Ho, C.‐C., & Koch, C. (in press). Too Real for Comfort? Uncanny responses to computer generated faces. Computers in Human Behavior.
30. Further examples of the Uncanny
Valley
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within The Polar Express
Source: http://www.andrewzeller.com/wp‐content/uploads/2008/01/realisticphotos.jpg Source: http://media.jsonline.com/images/28007159_164815__polar2_l.jpg
31. CGI animation
2 approaches addressing the uncanny valley
Source: http://www.cartoonary.com/the‐incredibles/images/the‐incredibles‐wallpaper‐ Source: http://foreverloyal.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/gollum.jpg,
photo‐2560x1600.jpg :http://z.about.com/d/toys/1/7/e/6/DavyJones.jpg
34. Keen to learn more?
The Uncanny Valley by Masahiro Mori -
http://www.androidscience.com/theuncannyvalley/proceedings2005/uncannyvall
ey.html
The Uncanny Valley by Dave Bryant –
http://www.arclight.net/~pdb/nonfiction/uncanny-valley.html
Charting the Uncanny Valley by Karl F. MacDorman -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geF1XO5IPc8&feature=channel
Life and love in the uncanny valley by Jamais Cascio -
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/cascio20061213/
Karl F. MacDorman homepage (lots of interesting HCI & uncanny valley research
publications) - http://www.macdorman.com/
The Uncanny Valley of user interface design by Bill Higgins -
http://billhiggins.us/weblog/2007/05/17/the-uncanny-valley-of-user-interface-
design/
Bot Junkie - http://www.botjunkie.com/
36. Other types of robots you may want
to check out
Real robots: Film/TV robots:
Kismet Cyberman from Doctor Who
i-sobot Terminator from Terminator and
Sarah Connor Chronicles
Hexapodmeisterschaft
KITT from Knightrider
HRP-4C
Bender from Futurama
REEB-B
Data from Star Trek
Tobopo
ABB (industrial robot)
37. Thanks!
Ruth Ellison
Email: me@ruthellison.com
Web: www.ruthellison.com
@RuthEllison
Find this presentation at www.slideshare.net/ruthellison