The Uncanny Valley - UX Australia

The Uncanny Valley: “That frakkin’ toaster is freaking me out!” By Ruth Ellison Twitter: @RuthEllison At UX Australia On 27 th August 2009

I’m Ruth User experience person Usability person Loves gadgets Robot lover Chocolate appreciator Information architect Work at Stamford Interactive

What this presentation is about...
Take a very brief look at different types of robots
Look at the Uncanny Valley phenomenon

Disclaimer
I’m not a roboticist
But I’m fascinated by human-robot / human-computer interactions

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

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

This is a robot Source: http://www.zcars.com.au/images/knight-rider-kitt1.jpg

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

Let’s play a game
or not

Roomba Linus stalking the Roomba By Eirik Newth from http://www.flickr.com/photos/eiriknewth/282273087/in/set-72157594351565925/ Available under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Simon More info: http://www.athomaz.com/?p=116, http://www.hizook.com/blog/2009/08/22/andrea-thomaz-wins-prestigious-mit-tech-review-2009-young-innovators-under-35-award- Image source: http://www.hizook.com/blog/2009/08/22/andrea-thomaz-wins-prestigious-mit-tech-review-2009-young-innovators-under-35-award-

Terminator Image source: http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/images/Terminator3-09.jpg

Keepon Keepon By JanneM from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jannem/214869878/ Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license Check out these videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPdP1jBfxzo

HRP-4C More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HRP-4C, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpO57NltoAI, http://www.thetechnologyblog.net/archives/japanese-robot-hrp-4c-cybernetic-human/japanese-technology Image source: http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_j/press_release/pr2009/pr20090316/pr20090316.html

Okonomiyaki Robot Image source: http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00821/robotmain_821389a.jpg

Guardian Robot @guardianrobot More info: http://www.guardian.co.uk/open-platform/blog/building-a-robot-army-one-cuddly-bot-at-a-time Image source: http://www.suicidebots.com/2009/08/13/mobilizing-the-adorable-robot-army/

Archie Image source: http://www.botjunkie.com/2009/07/22/archie/

CB2 Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/06/cb2-child-robot-returns-smarter-creepier-than-ever/, http://www.pinktentacle.com/2007/06/cb2-baby-humanoid-robot/

Repliee R1 Image source: By Hiroshi Ishiguro, from http://www.primidi.com/2006/12/27.html Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maguisso/1051298847/

So what is this creepiness factor?

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.

Uncanny Valley graph familiarity + - Human likeness Industrial robot Zombie Humanoid robot Uncanny valley Repliee Q2 & similar robots Healthy human Cylon ‘skin-jobs’ Cylon raider Based on Masahiro Mori and Karl F. MacDorman graph Final fantasy & The Polar Express

Why does it exist?
Quite a few theories:
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. Cognitive dissonance of liminal objects Shared circuits for empathy Evolutionary aesthetics Threat avoidance Sorites paradoxes involving personal and human identity Terror management theory

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.

Design principles

Appearance and behaviour should match ability Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-10313385-42.html

Degree of human realism in appearance should match behaviour Source: http://www.cartoonary.com/the-incredibles/images/the-incredibles-wallpaper-photo-2560x1600.jpg Source: Image source: http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00821/robotmain_821389a.jpg

Keen to learn more?
The Uncanny Valley by Masahiro Mori - http://www.androidscience.com/theuncannyvalley/proceedings2005/uncannyvalley.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/

Like lolcats? Try lolbots Source: http://lolbots.com/?p=809 Source: http://lolbots.com/?p=778 Source: http://lolbots.com/?p=800

Thanks!
Ruth Ellison
Email: [email_address]
Web: www.ruthellison.com
@RuthEllison
Find this presentation at www.slideshare.net/ruthellison

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The Uncanny Valley - UX Australia

by Ruth Ellison on Aug 27, 2009

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