Hey guys, Hailee here with an article about a circumstance I learnt about in a Psychology class this year. 

Have you ever looked at a picture of a face and thought to yourself, “It has human characteristics, but something is off?” It is most likely that you are being exposed to the phenomenon of ‘Uncanny Valley.’ Aren’t sure what I’m talking about? Take a look at these pictures, and let me know what you think of them. Pre-warning, some of the following pictures can be unsettling/eerie to some.

CB2 Child Robot


Jules A.I. 


Tara the Android


Creepy girl 

Think you've
seen this before but 
not sure where? 
It has been used in movies (Polar express, Mars Needs Moms), and in video games (Heavy rain, Medal of Honor: Warfighter)

What are the origins of 'Uncanny Valley'?
This concept was coined in 1970, by a Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori. It was deemed as ‘The Uncanny Valley’, he proposed that the more human-like a robot looked/acted, the more endearing it would be to a human. However, at some point, the likeness seems too strong and yet somehow, fundamentally different—and it just comes across as a very strange human being. At this point, the acceptance drops suddenly, changing to a powerful negative reaction.

This may also apply to things such as sound, and body movement. For example, a voice speaking words, but at a higher or lower pitch than is humanly possible may throw some off. 

What is the main reaction we have to it?Many assume that the first thought that pops into our head is fear. However, this is not always the case, some may actually find it funny (similar to the same reactions as unintentional comedy). In short, you just don't feel the same way that you would with a human, or something more realistic. 

Still confused?
If the robot was any less realistic, as humans we would feel empathy towards it. If the robot were more realistic, we can't tell that it's artificial. The weird space in-between where you want to hit it, that's Uncanny Valley.

Check out this cool Youtube video as well! I believe it does a good job at explaining, and is interesting at the same time!