Spelunking in the Uncanny Valley

The android is modeled on a real five-year-old and was created by the Intelligent Robotics Lab at Osaka University. The researchers are focused on using androids to create "geminoids," android doubles remotely controlled by their dopplegangers to lend a human presence to telecommunication. Even leaving aside the uncanny valley problem, the utility of transporting specific robots to teleconference is kind of insane. This will only really work with some kind of cheap matter fabbing unit on site. Till then, just revel in the strangeness, and hope the geminoids dont have a plan.

(h/t to io9)

Continuing the trek through the Uncanny Valley

The term Uncanny Valley was coined by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970 and refers to the feeling of unease or disgust when humanoid robots or CGI characters are too good to look obviously fake or cartoony, but just inhuman enough to make you uncomfortable (e.g. the Tom Hanks zombie in the film The Polar Express).

One animation company thinks their CGI-fu can make it out of the valley (hat tip to i09). The video is below:



Is it convincing? Squicky? Try showing it to someone who doesn't know what's up (and skip the opening sequence, natch). For more information check out this article from the Times (of London, not New York).