Denna studie har ämnat att undersöka hur Uncanny Valley-fenomenet påverkat digitala karaktärer ur ett nutida perspektiv och hur resultatet kopplas till utvecklingen av ny teknologi. Detta har utförts genom att se över vilka skillnader som observerats idag jämfört med en studie utförd 2009 av Tinwell (2009). 37 deltagare fick titta på 13 videoklipp av karaktärer i olika grader av grafisk realism och stil för att sedan svara på frågor i ett frågeformulär. Resultaten från studien visade på att dagens spelkaraktärer som de framvisade i denna studie med tanke på teknologiska framsteg och förbättringar inom design och grafisk realism, framgångsrikt minskat den upplevda Uncanny Valley-effekten jämfört med äldre karaktärer som de framvisade av Tinwell (2009).

I flera år har återskapandet av fotorealistiska bilder spelat en viktig roll när det gäller användningen av 3D-CGI för visualisering och marknadsföring. Återskapandet av något som kan kallas fotorealistiskt utan att ha använt en kamera medför många fördelar och möjligheter som fotografering har svårt att uppnå. På grund av detta har flera företag börjat använda CGI som en alternativ metod för marknadsföring istället för fotografi. Det finns dock fortfarande områden där användningen av CGI är begränsad, antingen på grund av hög komplexitet vilket innebär höga kostnader. För denna studie fokuserar vi på användningen och upplevelsen av CGI-bilder av mat som används i reklam. Anledningen till detta är på grund av vår dagliga interaktion och konsumtion av mat, vilket kan medföra att vår perception av något som just mat, drastiskt kan skilja sig från vår perception av andra produkter som är skapade med hjälp av CGI. För att testa vår perception av CGI-bilder av mat formulerade vi en enkätundersökning vars syfte var att jämföra CGI-bilder med dess fotografiska motsvarighet för att döma den aptitlighet som deltagarna känner inför varje bild. Detta genomfördes genom att deltagarna betygsatte olika bilder med ett aptitlighetsvärde samt kommenterade om hur de kände inför specifika bilder och även deras generella åsikter om användningen av CGI för marknadsföring. Vår undersökning visade en ringa preferens mot CGI-bilderna jämfört med de fotografierna som vi använt. Det fanns dock flera deltagare som ogillade det "plastiga" och orealistiska utseendet av CGI-bilderna vilket ledde till mycket lägre aptitlighet. Vi hypotiserar att anledningen till en preferens för CGI-bilderna i denna studie är för att CGI-bilder kan ha en orealistisk perfektion som kan framhäva mer aptitlighet än vad produkten utseende skulle göra i verkligheten. Vilken typ av produkt som bilderna representerar kan också spela en stor del i vårt resultat. I denna studie använde vi bilder på chokladbitar, resultatet kan därför starkt vara kopplat till val av bilder och om studien skulle använt bilder av andra matkategorier, t.ex. kött, frukt eller grönsaker, skulle resultatet kunna se annorlunda ut. / For several years, the recreation of photorealistic images has had a major role within the use of 3D-CGI for visualisation and advertisement. The recreation of something that can be called photorealistic without the use of a camera provides several advantages over photography. Because of this - several companies has begun using CGI as an alternative method within advertisement. There's still however, areas where the use of CGI remains limited - either because of the complexity and thus the expense, or because of how we as human perceive something that is done with CGI. We focused this study on the use of CGI food images used for advertisement. The reason for this is that we interact and consume food everyday, which can mean that our perception of something that we see as a consumable item may be drastically different from other products created with CGI. To test the perception of CGI images of food, we created a survey which purpose was to compare images of food utilizing CGI with photographic counterparts to judge the experienced appeal felt towards each image by a group of participants. This was done by having participants rate the images with a score of appeal as well as give written feedback of their thoughts about specific images and their general opinion of the use of CGI for advertisement purposes. Our survey showed a slight preference towards the CGI rendered images compared to the photographs that we used. There were however, several participants who disliked the "plastic" and unrealistic look of the CGI images that severely lowered the amount of appeal that was experienced. We hypothesize that the reason for the preference for CGI images in this study was because the use of CGI can make an image have an unrealistic perfection to it that can provoke a stronger appeal than how the look of the product would do in actuality. The type of product that the image represents may also play an important factor. This study focuses on chocolate bars, and thus the results may vary greatly if the study was conducted with the use of other food products, such as meat, fruit or vegetables.

Artificiell intelligens (AI) sprider sig genom samhället och används mer och mer inom flera olika områden. Chatbotar är en populär form av social AI som använder sig av naturligt språk för att kommunicera med användare. Det finns olika åsikter kring huruvida en chatbot ska prata och bete sig människolikt eller inte. Den ena sidan argumenterar att chatbotar ska fortsätta utvecklas för att kunna simulera mänskligt beteende och intelligens, å andra sidan argumenteras att chatbotar ska vara tydliga med att de är maskiner och att det även kan vara positivt för användarupplevelsen om chatbotar inte är alltför människolika. Dessutom finns det teorier om att ett beteende som är för människolikt kan skapa obehag hos användaren. Detta examensarbete syftar till att undersöka den diskrepans som har observerats i resultaten från vetenskapliga studier för att ge indikationer på vilka faktorer som bidrar till en positiv användarupplevelse i interaktionen med chatbotar i förhållande till hur människolika de uppfattas. Resultatet visar på att det finns en stor bredd i användares preferenser för hur en chatbot bör bete sig vilket gör det svårt att nämna specifika människoliknande faktorer som är tilltalande för en större grupp användare. Om man idag vill designa en chatbot som tilltalar så många användare som möjligt bör man ge den en officiell/formell ton samt låta den svara kort, koncist och med sofistikerade ordval och välkonstruerade meningar. För att gå vidare rekommenderas bland annat att undersöka hur chatbotar kan anpassa sitt beteende efter olika användare för att skapa en positiv användarupplevelse.

[pt] Este trabalho disserta sobre características subjetivas e técnicas do Vídeo Imersivo (VI) e da Realidade Virtual 3D (3DVR). Observa, particularmente, aspectos de uma estratégia do design realista com que ambientes são concebidos e produzidos em projetos de Realidade Virtual (VR). O Uncanny Valley (UV) é um corolário do processo criativo de personagens, representado por uma curva conceitual em que a conexão emocional ou empatia entre audiência e personagens varia de forma não linear e não diretamente proporcional em função do realismo com que estes personagens são concebidos. Dado o protagonismo dos ambientes em projetos VR, haveria um Uncanny Valley of Places? Lugares, ambientes, espaços e a cenografia virtual estão sujeitos a uma estranheza em Realidade Virtual? Neste trabalho, são apresentados dados de três ciclos de pesquisa a partir três experimentos VR que buscam responder a estas questões: 1) O experimento Immersive Bike (IB), que integra estímulos visuais em VI com estímulos hapticos sinestésicos passivos; 2) A aplicação Rio 360 VR; aplicativo imersivo; 3) Pesquisa centrada no usuário, que compara diretamente aplicações VI e 3DVR. Este trabalho aponta caminhos para apoiar o processo criativo do Designer de Interação, demonstrando que sensação de imersão não é função direta do maior ou menor realismo com que as imagens são produzidas e sim é potencializada a partir da conexão multimodal do repertório de sensações dos usuários e sua conexão com as histórias propostas pelas aplicações imersivas. / [en] This dissertation aims to present subjective and technical characteristics of Immersive Video (IV) and 3D Virtual Reality (3DVR). Observes, particularly, aspects related to a realism approach design strategy for VR environment s conception. The Uncanny Valley (UV) is a corollary of illustrated character s creative process, a conceptual curve that represents the variation of the emotional connection with characters related to its realistic properties conception. The UV refers to the base of a parabolic positive curve of this dynamic relation between empathy and realism, on which is detected a weirdness or an uncanny as much realistic the character seams. Does VR environments are subjected to an analog UV? Is there an Uncanny Valley of Places? Do places, ambients, spaces and virtual scenography is subjected to an uncanny in Virtual Reality? This work presents results of three cycles of research based on three VR experiments that aim to respond these questions: 1) The Immersive Bike experiment, which design integrates IV with kinesthetic haptics; 2) Rio 360 VR0, an immersive aplication for mobile interaction; 3) Human-centered research that compares IV and 3DVR applications. This work points a path to the Interaction Designer creative process, proposing that the immersive sensation is not directly proportional of how realistic an immersive image is produced, but is potentiated by the multimodal user s connection with the storytelling of the immersive aplication.

Robots are constantly evolving, from Da Vinci's first robot to humanoids that exist today and are used in various industries. This study examines how a humanoid is perceived as service staff in a car dealership and this was done through a qualitative case study where semi-structured interviews and on-site observations were combined. These were carried out at Riddermark Bil, which is one of Sweden's largest car dealers for used cars. The theory part is based on the concept of anthropomorphism and the uncanny valley theory which are related and important to customers' acceptance of the robot. Anthropomorphism is about giving non-human objects, such as robots, human properties to make it easier to interact with them. Uncanny valley comes into the picture when these human qualities create an expectation in man that is not achieved by the robot and a feeling of discomfort arises in man. This feeling of discomfort is what characterizes the uncanny valley. The analysis showed that uncanny valley exists in the car dealership with the humanoid and customers, and how the degree of anthropomorphism affects the viewer and the interaction. What turned out overall was that most people, customers and staff, are positive about interacting with a humanoid, but present it does not really meet the expectations placed on it. Finally, it is discussed how uncanny valley affects customers in a car dealership and what the reasons for this are.

Hollywood adaptations of Japanese stories derived from manga have failed to connect with a Western audience, and not for a lack of fan interest. Instead, the core issues one encounters are matters of mistranslation, which construct the fatal flaws of American adaptations of manga. In my research, I identify three major errors in adaptation typically present in these narratives. First, I discuss mistranslations of story via analysis of Netflix’s 2017 adaptation of Death Note, which includes plot reduction for the sake of time and budget restraints, as well as conflict rearrangement to fit the traditional Hollywood mold. Next, I discuss mistranslations of cultural values, as successful adaptations of Japanese manga that are accessible in an American context require a trans-cultural fluency American studios seem to lack; I use Paramount Pictures’ Ghost in the Shell (2017) to illustrate this point. Finally, mistranslations of form are present in these failed adaptations. In order to bring the spirit of a manga to life on-screen, many directors have tried to replicate the style of this apparatus to film, often with unsuccessful results due to its jarring deviation from the Western norm. Spike Lee’s Old Boy (2013) becomes case-in-point in this section as I contrast the apparatus of anime to film. Ultimately, I conclude that successful adaptations are quite possible; one merely needs to select the right story and cater it to what American fans of manga find fascinating about the genre—its cultural authenticity and wholly original (and decidedly non-American) ideas.

Technological advancements have allowed the design of more realistic virtual characters, for example, in-game development; meanwhile, researchers argue that more realism is not always suitable. As an explorative pilot study, this thesis investigates the uncanny among human-like agents and intelligent systems with human-like attributes. The thesis focuses on the uncanny theories to understand whether Mori's Uncanny Valley (UV) or Tinwell's Uncanny wall (UW) is more suitable when designing with a user-centred approach. The study facilitated two remote focus group workshops consisting of seven participants to understand the participant's expectations, needs and desires of existing and future AI technology. The participants consisted of two target groups, gamers and non-gamers, in order to understand if exposure to AI leads to adoptability of the technology. The participants described their perspectives and needs of existing AI assistants, and their preferences of human-like cross modality such as voice and avatar for future assistants. The research activities resulted in insights and four themes: rejection of existing assistant technology, productivity and task management, expectations of future AI assistants and balancing human-likeness. Findings show that participants reject existing assistant technologies, as old tangible habits, social norms, and incompatibility prevent the adoption of existing assistant technology. While both gamers and non-gamers seek a balance between generic robotics and pure human likeness, none of the participants fully adopted the idea of human likeness as it generates uncanny feelings.

The goal of this paper is to create a positive account of Masahiro Mori’s theory of the uncanny valley. A theory wherein Mori speculated on the relationship between one’s perceived affinity for a robot and the human-likeness of that same robot. Mori believed that the closer to a human a robot looked, the higher one’s affinity for it would be, until a certain point where the robot looked close enough to a human without being fully convincing. When this happened one would feel a negative affinity for the robot. Mori called this phenomenon the uncanny valley.  In later years, Mori’s theory has gained more popularity and is now applied outside of robotics. Most notably it is often applied to the medium of 3D animation and CGI, which is what this essay will be discussing when trying to create a positive account of the uncanny valley. To do so it will discuss the phenomenon in relation to some examples of 3D animation and CGI that critics have claimed reside in the uncanny valley. This essay will give an overview of what the uncanny valley actually entails as well as give an explanation of how the uncanny valley can be applied to 3D animation.  In order to create a positive account, this essay will claim that the positive aesthetic value that the uncanny valley can lead to is akin to that of Brecht’s idea of the distancing effect. This essay argues that the uncanny valley distances the viewer from what they are viewing and that makes the viewer gain didactic knowledge of both CGI and their own relationship to technology. This essay will argue that this is a positive aesthetic experience that is unique to the uncanny valley.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The treatment of chronic diseases requires patient adherence to medical advice. Nonadherence worsens health outcomes and increases healthcare costs. Consultations with a virtual physician could increase adherence, given the shortage of healthcare professionals. However, if the virtual physician is a computer animation, acceptance of its advice may be hampered by the uncanny valley effect, a negative affective reaction to human simulations. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of the virtual physician on patients’ adherence. The first study, a 2 ´ 2 ´ 2 between-groups posttestonly experiment, involved 738 participants playing the role of a patient in a hypothetical virtual consultation with a doctor. The consultation varied in the doctor’s Character, Outcome, and Depiction. Character, Outcome, and Depiction were designed to manipulate the doctor’s level of warmth, competence, and realism. The second study, a 2 ´ 5 between-groups experiment, involved 441 participants assuming a patient’s role in a similar hypothetical virtual consultation with a doctor. The experiment varied the doctor’s Character and Depiction. These independent variables were designed to manipulate the doctor’s level of warmth and eeriness. The first study found that warmth and competence increased adherence intention and consultation enjoyment, but realism did not. On the contrary, the computer-animated doctor increased adherence intention and consultation enjoyment significantly more than the doctor portrayed by a human actor. The enjoyment of the animated consultation caused the doctor to appear warmer and more real, compensating for his realism inconsistency. In the second study, Depiction had a nonsignificant effect on adherence intention, even though the computer animated doctor was perceived as eerier than the real human. The low-warmth, high-eeriness doctor prompted heuristic processing of information, while the high-warmth doctor prompted systematic processing. This pattern runs counter to the literature on persuasion. The doctor’s eeriness, measured in a pretest, had no significant effect on adherence intention via the heuristic-systematic model. Although virtual characters can elicit the uncanny valley effect, they were comparable to a real person in increasing adherence intention, adherence and health behavior. This finding should encourage the development and acceptance of virtual consultation to address the shortage of healthcare professionals. / 2023-11-03

Uncanny valley är ett ämne som inte ofta diskuteras i förhållande till helkroppsanimationer. Detta gör det intressant ur en animatörs synvinkel, att se hur kroppens rörelser följer ellergår emot tidigare kunskaperna inom ämnet. Vilket är varför den här undersökningen går in på hur helkroppsrörelser kan upplevas uncanny, där animationerna görs genom användningen av Motion Capture som har historia av att påverka tittare negativt. Undersökningen utfördes genom att spela in och applicera Motion Capture rörelser på en 3D-modell som sedan placerades i en 3D-miljö. Deltagarna fick sedan se rörelserna och under en enkät, semi-strukturerad intervju och tänka högt-metod, betygsätta och berätta om deras upplevelse av vad de precis sett. Syftet med undersökningen är att se hur rörelsers förändring kan påverka upplevelsen av karaktären och hur det sedan kan användas i senare arbeten. / <p>Det finns övrigt digitalt material (t.ex. film-, bild- eller ljudfiler) eller modeller/artefakter tillhörande examensarbetet som ska skickas till arkivet.</p>