The uncanny valley
I'm new to this group, so thought I'd write and introduce myself - my name's Stephanie Gray, I live in the UK and I'm planning a research project which I feel may be of interest to this community.
I am just about to start a PhD looking into the Uncanny Valley effect: this is the feeling of being 'creeped out' or unsettled when you see a face that is almost but not quite human. It's a concept that first came from robotics, and it's probably best illustrated with an example from that field: the Repliee Q1expo, a humanoid android that still looks subtly and unsettlingly 'wrong' despite the detailed features and facial expression.
My project will look in detail at the uncanny valley effect, including an exploration of a possible cognitive load explanation for why it occurs, can it be extinguished over time, and what biological basis can be found for the effect.
I'd be very interested to make contact with anyone who is already looking at this area, so please do comment or email me. If you would like to read more about my work, I'm running a research journal at this account and you're very welcome to add it as a friend. In addition to regualr posts about my studies, I'm planning to post a weekly roundup of relevant of general relevance to the area.
(Apologies to those of you who see this cross-posted, I'm also talking to several other communities with relevant interests which may overlap.)
I am just about to start a PhD looking into the Uncanny Valley effect: this is the feeling of being 'creeped out' or unsettled when you see a face that is almost but not quite human. It's a concept that first came from robotics, and it's probably best illustrated with an example from that field: the Repliee Q1expo, a humanoid android that still looks subtly and unsettlingly 'wrong' despite the detailed features and facial expression.
My project will look in detail at the uncanny valley effect, including an exploration of a possible cognitive load explanation for why it occurs, can it be extinguished over time, and what biological basis can be found for the effect.
I'd be very interested to make contact with anyone who is already looking at this area, so please do comment or email me. If you would like to read more about my work, I'm running a research journal at this account and you're very welcome to add it as a friend. In addition to regualr posts about my studies, I'm planning to post a weekly roundup of relevant of general relevance to the area.
(Apologies to those of you who see this cross-posted, I'm also talking to several other communities with relevant interests which may overlap.)