What is the Uncanny Valley?
A well known concept in the field of aesthetics is that of the uncanny valley - the metaphorical cliff at which a human-like rendering ceases to be cute and instead appears creepy or unsettling to the viewer. A return to normalcy is only achieved when the rendering becomes so lifelike that it is indistinguishable from a healthy human being. The term was first coined by robotics professor Masahiro Mori in 1970 and has been used to describe humanoid forms from robotics to computer animation (Wikipedia). Often times, animated characters or robots designed to be hyper-realistic fail to be completely lifelike and instead fall into this dreaded uncanny valley, meaning they will not be warmly accepted by their intended audience. Recent psychology research has attempted to figure out just what causes this reaction. The current consensus is that this creepy feeling comes from the appearance of the figure not quite being right, compounded with the expression of realistic human emotion by a form that is inhuman (The Economist).
The Uncanny Valley in Robotics
Designers of robots must take into account the uncanny valley when designing humanoid robots, as it is all too easy for a lifelike robot to instill a sense of fear into the intended user. Many advanced AI androids fall into this valley as their designer made them too life-like. A good example of this is ChihiraAico, a communication robot designed by Toshiba. While she certainly looks human, there is something about the way she moves and her facial expressions that make it clear she is not. This could pose a problem for a robot of this type, which is designed to provide assistance to people. These overly humanoid robots pose a problem for usability. Just as it is imperative for a computer to have a good user interface, a robot must have a pleasant appearance and endearing mannerisms. A 2016 study on how humans interact with humanoid robots found that robots that fall into the uncanny valley may be perceived as untrustworthy in an investment game compared to other, less humanoid robots (Mathur & Reichling). It is of utmost importance that robots are designed with the end user in mind, so that it will be embraced rather than feared.
The Uncanny Valley makes a pop culture appearance on SNL, pointing out just how far we are from creating a truly lifelike android.