Introduction to the Uncanny Valley

The uncanny valley phenomenon describes the unsettling feeling people experience when they encounter robots or animations that closely resemble humans but fall short of appearing fully lifelike. This concept was coined by roboticist Masahiro Mori in the 1970s, where he noted that as robots become more human-like, human attraction tends to increase until reaching a point where the resemblance becomes too close, resulting in repulsion. Mori illustrated this effect with a graph depicting a steep drop in affinity for humanoid robots that appear almost human, and his original essay highlighted that movement significantly influences this perception. The discussion indicates that movement can enhance feelings of familiarity or eeriness, thereby affecting how we perceive these near-human entities.