The Uncanny Valley in Games and Animation IN GAMES AND ANIMATION

Advances in technology have enabled animators and video game designers to design increasingly realistic, human-like characters in animation and games. Although it was intended that this increased realism would allow viewers to appreciate the emotional state of characters, research has shown that audiences often have a negative reaction as the human likeness of a character increases. This phenomenon, known as the Uncanny Valley, has become a benchmark for measuring if a character is believably realistic and authentically human like. This book is an essential guide on how to overcome the Uncanny Valley phenomenon when designing human-like characters in digital applications. In this book, the author provides a synopsis of literature about the Uncanny Valley phenomenon and explains how it was introduced into contemporary thought. She then presents her theories on its possible psychological causes based on a series of empirical studies. The book focuses on how aspects of facial expression and speech can be manipulated to overcome the Uncanny Valley in character design. The Uncanny Valley in Games and Animation presents a novel theory that goes beyond previous research in that the cause of the Uncanny Valley is based on a perceived lack of empathy in a character. This book makes an original, scholarly contribution to our current understanding of the Uncanny Valley phenomenon and fills a gap in the literature by assessing the biological and social roots of the Uncanny Valley and its implications for computer-graphics animation.

AcknowledgmentsAuthor BiographyIntroductionThe Uncanny ValleyExperience of the UncannyBukimi no Tani—The Uncanny ValleyCritical Studies of the Uncanny Valley in Games and AnimationReferencesPrevious Investigation into the Uncanny ValleyDesign Guidelines for a Character’s AppearanceThe Effect of MovementPlotting the Uncanny ValleyLost in Translation? The Effect of Age and Gender on Sensitivity to the Uncanny Valley An Evolutionary or Developmental Phenomenon?ReferencesSurvival Horror Characters and the UncannyEarly Sound CinemaSurvival Horror versus Horror FilmFacial ExpressionSpeech QualitiesArticulation of SpeechLip-SynchronizationDesigning for or against the UncannyReferencesUncanny Facial Expression of EmotionUniversal EmotionsFacial Action Coding SystemNonverbal CommunicationFalse or Fabricated EmotionThe Effect of Emotion Type on UncanninessUncanny Emotion: Fear and SurpriseSadness and AnthropomorphismDisgust, Revulsion and the Nose Wrinkler ActionOur Perceptual Advantage to AngerHappiness and Uncanny False SmilesReferencesApplying Psychological Plausibility to the Uncanny ValleyPrevious Psychological Explanations of the Uncanny ValleyEmpathy and HumanityPerception of Antisocial Personality Traits in an Uncanny CharacterLack of Visual Startle Reflex and PsychopathyAberrant Facial Expression and Perception of PsychopathyThe Effect of Character Gender and Age on UncanninessAntisocial Traits in Antipathetic CharactersReferencesThe Mind’s Mirror and the UncannyMirror Neuron ActivityFacial Mimicry and Emotional ContagionA Lack of Facial Mimicry in HumansFacial Mimicry in Relational Human-Like CharactersThe Uncanny in HumansReferencesAttachment Theory and Threat to Self-Concept (Ego)Reflection of the SelfSelf, Identity and Attachment TheoryProtest, Despair and Detachment BehaviorThreat to Self-Concept (Ego)Objective Quantification of Uncanniness and Future WorkDo We All Experience the Uncanny in Human-Like Characters?ReferencesWill We Ever Overcome the Uncanny Valley?Overcoming the Uncanny: A Question of Time?The Uncanny WallThe Human and Financial Cost of Uncanny Human-Like CharactersThe Future: A Human-Like Virtual NewbornReferencesIndex

Dr. Angela Tinwell's research on the Uncanny Valley in human-like characters is recognized at an international level. As well as British media coverage on BBC television and radio, her work has been featured in news articles for The Guardian and Times Higher Education and in the American magazines Smithsonian, New Yorker, and IEEE Spectrum Magazine. In 2012, Tinwell completed her PhD dissertation, titled "Viewer Perception of Facial Expression and Speech and the Uncanny Valley in Human-Like Virtual Characters," and she has since published extensive studies on the topic. Her publications include empirical studies in the journal Computers in Human Behavior and theoretical writings for Oxford University Press. Tinwell's research into the Uncanny Valley in human-like characters is relevant in academia and industry, and she has presented her work with animators from the special effects company Framestore at the London Science Museum. As part of the Digital Human League, Tinwell is working with visual effects professionals at Chaos Group (creators of V-Ray rendering software) aimed at overcoming the Uncanny Valley.