The uncanny valley

[Trassk]

Heres a subject I've always found interesting because of how differing it can be from one person to the next on the basis of our own primal fears.

In 1970, professor Masahiro Mori in japan coined the phrase, because of a study he undertook that looked into the reaction people would have to robots or anatomic constructs and how far along it could go before people would become uncomfortable with them.



lets take an example in robots, androids and cgi characters, robots like Wallie from the movie Wallie, or R2D2 are considered cute robots just about everyone is happy with and feels no anxiety towards.

But then, the next robot we have is something like the robot from I'Robot movie, even if we know its a robot, it has motions to it that are human yet we know its not human, so our brain can quite process it.

And then.. we have the CB2 child robot, a robot made to replicate emotional states of a child, needless to say this thing dips right down into the uncanny valley:


From there, only seeing something like a real baby or a CGI character like the blue monkey people from avatar would pull us back up from the uncanny valley.

Whats interesting about this subject is how really, it applies to a lot more then just animatronics and robots, but to certain primal human fears, that being when you take something your brain registers as something normal, like other human beings, your pets, your home, objects you feel safe with day to day, and then adding something to it that makes it uncomfortable, like imagine if your cat or dog opened the mouths and elongated them to twice the size, that would be a dip into the uncanny valley, or seeing photos of your loved ones, but there eyes have all turned black, again, taking the thing you take comfort from, and it turning into something your uncomfortable with.

Like Gonzo with real eyes, or what if homer simpson looked more real.

(Its like tim curry looking right at me)

[Deleted]

So much never said so little.

[Trassk]

So much never said so little.

Such as what you just posted? you want to add something constructive?

[Deleted]

Such as what you just posted? you want to add something constructive?

What is there to discuss you posted something and never posed a point of discussion. Maybe if you had one something constructive may occur.

Seriously right now this can be tl;dr'd to be "Films characters are designed to inspire emotion, news at 10"

[Tradewind]

(Insert Vagina joke here)

[Trassk]

Its called a open debate on a subject, if you can't figure out something to add to it Dandi then don't.

Since the subject is the uncanny valley relating to how people react to discomfort of things they should find normal or acceptable, but being just slightly off from the norm, it opens a debate on what is the limit people feel is there range before it tilts into the uncanney valley, images they find disturbing that tilts into that region, or things that aren't even necessarily human, but should be seen as something you should otherwise feel comfortable with.

It should be self explanatory.

[Tradewind]

Girls with Steve Buschemi eyes is where I draw the line.

[Jayburner]

I guess I would react like a dog would when seeing something weird. "yip yip" and run away with my tail between my legs. I guess animal instincts will never go away.

I do want to watch that movie "Her" with Joaquin Phoenix.

[poser765]

(Insert Vagina joke here)

"I said to my girlfriend, gee you have a big vagina, gee you have a big vagina"
She said "you didn't have to say it twice"
I said "I didn't!"

[Deleted]

Its called a open debate on a subject, if you can't figure out something to add to it Dandi then don't.

Since the subject is the uncanny valley relating to how people react to discomfort of things they should find normal or acceptable, but being just slightly off from the norm, it opens a debate on what is the limit people feel is there range before it tilts into the uncanney valley, images they find disturbing that tilts into that region.

It should be self explanatory.

Wow, what a nice summary, if only you had done that in the first place.

Also the concept of debate on this forum is laughable, like most forums really.

[Kraenen]

"I said to me girlfriend, gee you have a big vagina, gee you have a big agina"
She said "you didn't have to say it twice"
I said "I didn't!"

im' not sure if i have' brain damage

[poser765]

im' not sure if i have' brain damage

Why thank you. I did fix some of the typos so it MAY make a bit more sense. Probably not though.

[Trassk]

Glad we're on the same page then.

A study suggests the uncanny valley might be something relating to the primitive aspects of human understanding as far back as early man, and how early man determined suitable mates on basis of what they find most appealing, measured against what was far from this desire.

Of course well we still go by this primal instinct today, it does explain the range of how far we can hold ourselves before things like irrational fear sets in to the familiar becoming the unfamiliar. Imagine you see a pretty looking woman and you instantly find her hot.. but then since its a horror movie, she opens her mouth, and his cheeks split and reveal a dislocated jaw that opens right up, she's still pretty above the jaw, but the mouth just turns what was hot into what is now nightmarish, and the reaction to the girl changes from lust to fear.

[Kraenen]

Why thank you. I did fix some of the typos so it MAY make a bit more sense. Probably not though.

I've been reading over the joke for the past 5 minutes and still can't get it

[Trassk]

The real fear though comes from the eyes. doing something as simple as taking a beloved cartoon character, and changing nothing except the eyes, making them stir creepily at you, suddenly nothing else in the picture matters, because we're drawn to the characters eyes first.

[Jayburner]

Glad we're on the same page then.

A study suggests the uncanny valley might be something relating to the primitive aspects of human understanding as far back as early man, and how early man determined suitable mates on basis of what they find most appealing, measured against what was far from this desire.

Of course well we still go by this primal instinct today, it does explain the range of how far we can hold ourselves before things like irrational fear sets in to the familiar becoming the unfamiliar. Imagine you see a pretty looking woman and you instantly find her hot.. but then since its a horror movie, she opens her mouth, and his cheeks split and reveal a dislocated jaw that opens right up, she's still pretty above the jaw, but the mouth just turns what was hot into what is now nightmarish, and the reaction to the girl changes from lust to fear.

I think we are hardwired and not so easily changed.

[LilSaihah]

Girls with Steve Buschemi eyes is where I draw the line.

I only date people who have more than a passing resemblance to Gary Busey.

[poser765]

I've been reading over the joke for the past 5 minutes and still can't get it

lol it's an echo, man! Because it's so big. Ok truthfully like 9/10ths of what makes that one funny is how unfunny it is.

[Kraenen]

I think we are hardwired and not so easily changed.

we change immensely throughout our lives, especially during the earlier years

[Jayburner]

take for example a man going to Iraq and coming back to his fiance with his face melted but everything else still in tact. I'm not saying some can get over it but its our nature to abhor such things.