The Uncanny Valley in Games and Animation

232 Pages·2014·11.218 MB·English

by  Angela Tinwell

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The Uncanny Valley
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IN GAMES & 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 T
state of characters, research has shown that audiences often have a negative reaction as h
e
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 U
authentically human like. This book is an essential guide on how to overcome the Uncanny n
Valley phenomenon when designing human-like characters in digital applications. c
a
n
In this book, the author provides a synopsis of literature about the Uncanny Valley
n
phenomenon and explains how it was introduced into contemporary thought. She then
y
presents her theories on its possible psychological causes based on a series of empirical
V
studies. The book focuses on how aspects of facial expression and speech can be
a
manipulated to overcome the Uncanny Valley in character design.
l
l
e
The Uncanny Valley in Games and Animation presents a novel theory that goes beyond
y
previous research in that the cause of the Uncanny Valley is based on a perceived lack
I
of empathy in a character. This book makes an original, scholarly contribution to our N
current understanding of the Uncanny Valley phenomenon and fills a gap in the literature
G
by assessing the biological and social roots of the Uncanny Valley and its implications for A
computer-graphics animation. M
E
Features S

• Presents an essential guide for those designing human-like virtual characters in &

digital applications A
N
• Explores how facial expression and speech in a character can elicit the Uncanny I
M
Valley phenomenon
A
• Includes illustrated examples of facial expressions in human-like virtual characters T
and how to avoid the Uncanny Valley I
O
• Offers a new theory in response to the common question posed by both the audience N
and character designers, “Will we ever overcome the Uncanny Valley?”
K20318
A ngela
TINWELL
Computer Game Development

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Contents
Acknowledgments, ix
Author Biography, xi
Introduction, xiii
Chapter 1 ◾ T he Uncanny Valley 1
1.1 EXPERIENCE OF THE UNCANNY 2
1.2 BUKIMI NO TANI—THE UNCANNY VALLEY 6
1.3 CRITICAL STUDIES OF THE UNCANNY VALLEY IN
GAMES AND ANIMATION 10
REFERENCES 21
Chapter 2 ◾ P revious Investigation into the Uncanny Valley 25
2.1 DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR A CHARACTER’S
APPEARANCE 26
2.2 THE EFFECT OF MOVEMENT 28
2.3 PLOTTING THE UNCANNY VALLEY 31
2.4 LOST IN TRANSLATION? 35
2.5 THE EFFECT OF AGE AND GENDER ON SENSITIVITY
TO THE UNCANNY VALLEY 38
2.6 AN EVOLUTIONARY OR DEVELOPMENTAL
PHENOMENON? 41
REFERENCES 43
v
vi ◾ Contents
Chapter 3 ◾ S urvival Horror Characters and the Uncanny 47
3.1 EARLY SOUND CINEMA 49
3.2 SURVIVAL HORROR VERSUS HORROR FILM 51
3.3 FACIAL EXPRESSION 54
3.4 SPEECH QUALITIES 55
3.5 ARTICULATION OF SPEECH 57
3.6 LIP- SYNCHRONIZATION 60
3.7 DESIGNING FOR OR AGAINST THE UNCANNY 65
REFERENCES 67
Chapter 4 ◾ U ncanny Facial Expression of Emotion 71
4.1 UNIVERSAL EMOTIONS 73
4.2 FACIAL ACTION CODING SYSTEM 74
4.3 NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION 76
4.4 FALSE OR FABRICATED EMOTION 79
4.5 THE EFFECT OF EMOTION TYPE ON UNCANNINESS 81
4.5.1 Uncanny Emotion: Fear and Surprise 83
4.5.2 Sadness and Anthropomorphism 86
4.5.3 Disgust, Revulsion and the Nose Wrinkler Action 87
4.5.4 Our Perceptual Advantage to Anger 89
4.5.5 Happiness and Uncanny False Smiles 90
REFERENCES 95
Chapter 5 ◾ A pplying Psychological Plausibility
to the Uncanny Valley 99
5.1 PREVIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS OF
THE UNCANNY VALLEY 100
5.2 EMPATHY AND HUMANITY 102
5.3 PERCEPTION OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY TRAITS
IN AN UNCANNY CHARACTER 104
5.4 LACK OF VISUAL STARTLE REFLEX AND
PSYCHOPATHY 106
5.5 ABERRANT FACIAL EXPRESSION AND PERCEPTION
OF PSYCHOPATHY 108
Contents ◾ vii
5.6 THE EFFECT OF CHARACTER GENDER AND AGE ON
UNCANNINESS 111
5.7 ANTISOCIAL TRAITS IN ANTIPATHETIC CHARACTERS 117
REFERENCES 120
Chapter 6 ◾ T he Mind’s Mirror and the Uncanny 125
6.1 MIRROR NEURON ACTIVITY 126
6.2 FACIAL MIMICRY AND EMOTIONAL CONTAGION 129
6.3 A LACK OF FACIAL MIMICRY IN HUMANS 133
6.4 FACIAL MIMICRY IN RELATIONAL HUMAN- LIKE
CHARACTERS 136
6.5 THE UNCANNY IN HUMANS 141
REFERENCES 144
Chapter 7 ◾ A ttachment Theory and Threat to Self-
Concept (Ego) 149
7.1 REFLECTION OF THE SELF 150
7.2 SELF, IDENTITY AND ATTACHMENT THEORY 152
7.3 PROTEST, DESPAIR AND DETACHMENT BEHAVIOR 155
7.4 THREAT TO SELF- CONCEPT (EGO) 161
7.5 OBJECTIVE QUANTIFICATION OF UNCANNINESS
AND FUTURE WORK 164
7.6 DO WE ALL EXPERIENCE THE UNCANNY IN
HUMAN- LIKE CHARACTERS? 167
REFERENCES 171
Chapter 8 ◾ W ill We Ever Overcome the Uncanny Valley? 177
8.1 OVERCOMING THE UNCANNY: A QUESTION OF
TIME? 178
8.2 THE UNCANNY WALL 182
8.3 THE HUMAN AND FINANCIAL COST OF UNCANNY
HUMAN- LIKE CHARACTERS 190
8.4 THE FUTURE: A HUMAN- LIKE VIRTUAL NEWBORN 194
REFERENCES 201