Charting the Uncanny: Form Dynamics Contingency. Part 2 of 7

Karl F. MacDorman presents on the uncanny valley at the 2007 NMC Summer Conference (June 6-9, 2007, Indianapolis), hosted by the Indiana University School of Informatics. The talk reviews dimensions along which an animated character or robot may vary, including visual appearance, touch sensation, fragrance, motion quality, speech, prosody, voice quality, interactivity, and timing.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• android
• Masahiro
• Mori
• robots
• robotics
• uncanny
• valley

[CalyxAsgard]

I always thought that the Uncanny Valley idea needed a lot more refinement.

[rich0905]

i still think that even when robots become more liflike they will become further more eerie, because when you look at someone you can hear them breathing, and you cann tell there alive, when you look into their eyes there is life, but if you look into the eyes of a liflike robot, it's only a fake, so it's like looking into the eyes of a dead person in that sense

[shadexknight]

freaky O_O

[agataAgatha]

This is fantastic! I really needed to better understand the uncanny valley. Which helps me on my animation course thank you!

[delfunkster]

I get the perspective. We will never know till it happens, we have come so far with technology in such a short time. But I think for me personally, I could never see something equalling the warmth, character and personality of humans and animals around us...but robots will be useful...I saw a robotic teddy bear that is used for comfort for children who are allergic to animals...that is a good robotic "alive" example. Maybe my great great grandchild's best friend will be a friendly T2.

[JETZcorp]

I still contend that such things can be reproduced. Granted, we obviously don't have the technology to do it smoothly and autonomously enough at the moment, but progression is fast. Think of the difference between the Wright Flyer, or between the Model T and a Corvette, and you'll get the perspective.  Think of this Japanese robot as a Model T, and just imagine what the "Corvette" robot of 2109 will be.

As for social acceptance, I'm curious to see how that progresses. Martin Luther King 2.0?

[delfunkster]

Alive to me is beyond the obvious. Whether or not a person believes in a soul or that spark that creates life, it cannot be recreated to totally fool us. It will be a very long time after robotic humans are introduced to society that we will accept them. Many generations will have to pass by before there are generations that will just find it normal to have them in life. Still, they will lack the certain qualities of a human & lack of connection, eg: the smell that attracts people and hormones.

[JETZcorp]

How do you want to define "alive?" In the future, a robot's processing power and other technologies may make it advanced enough to not only look alive (pretend to breathe, etc) but have a personality and that sort of thing.

Something to think about.

[delfunkster]

creepy arm wave from that robot...i just find the thoght of a robot in the community scary...you wouldnt get that same familiar spirit or alive feeling, like rich0905 mentions about looking into someones eyes...the smallest movement or twitch can tell you how someone is feeling...and i just dont think robots would ever do that as humans are such complex beings. They maybe good for old people to help out, but they would never comfort like a cat or dog because they are alive.

[Saiyne]

Ditto, that.