Autism and the Uncanny Valley

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Are people on the autistic spectrum less likely to be affected by something in the uncanny valley than people who are more adept at recognizing facial expressions and body language? Also, is it possible for NTs to view autistics as being in the uncanny valley due to our own limited range of facial expressions and odd body language?

The uncanny valley is what happens when a robot or CGI character becomes so lifelike that it's scary - literally. Robots that seem to be "almost human" will come across as "strange" to people and evoke a sense of revulsion in them for some reason. That's why zombies are used as fodder for horror movies; they're considered to be at the very bottom of the uncanny valley.

The reason I made this topic is because I don't seem to have a very strong reaction to things that are labeled as being in the uncanny valley and I'm wondering if it might have something to do with my inability to read facial expressions. For example, whenever I watch this youtube video of a woman who is completely rendered in CGI, I feel that I am unable to tell her apart from a real human being, whereas there are many comments about little details in her face that cause anxiety in other viewers who could tell right off the bat that something was "wrong". The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLiX5d3rC6o

Wait, that's not a real person? I was watching mostly in silent because I'm listening to something.

The jagged teeth scared me a little, I guess.

She looks real to me.

Took a look - slow connection, but saw it. Paid more attention to the face than I normally would.

Seemed a bit stiff in expression, but no more by me than the ones my wife points out as facelift + Botox victims.

It was to smooth in motion and to stiff in muscle tone and facial expression. plus her eyelids blinked to fluent up and down.

I think it was pretty neat for CGI.

If she just turned up on TV reading the news, I would never suspect she was a fake. That's so weird.

Ahh... There wasn't as much forehead wrinkle as I'd expect, but wow!

Very impressive tech demo!

The mouth seemed to be sloped and they had her looking in the wrong spot for the camera, but otherwise pretty impressive.

Would be nice if they had physics to make her hair move when she does.

I've always felt that way about other primates. Apes really creep me out.

i don't know what "uncanny valley" means but the actress (at end) looks easily as simulated as the animated version.

i would like to see a different actor used as i think this girl has some unreal looking features anyway.

you should post this in PPR and see if anyone has an opinion about fair use of this technology. if you can similate a person this well you could make a "video" of them saying something they didn't. i find that almost a more interesting concept than the technology itself.

I could not tell that she was not human by facial experssons....creeeepy...people will soon be running around that are not people but machines and most autistics would never know and every other person will just be weirded out by these ppl robots but still not know they are not a biological being....I gots the heeby jeebies.

So the real question is who will be controling these ppl-bots?
who knows maybe they will be the next generation TSA agents??

Anyway, I guess I dont read expressions as good as I thought.

The only way I knew that we were not in Kansas anymore, was when I got a look into her eyes. I read eyes very well, and they did not look blank like you would expect (like mine does at times) but they just did not look human... hard to explain And when she glanced a hard right with her eyes, that was alittle weird...too exagerated.

If I hadn't been told beforehand, I wouldn't have known that she wasn't human.

i wouldn't have known either. I thought she was real until i read she WAS the demo, so i paid more attention, and except her butterfly eyelids ( not quick enough?) and teeth, i didn't notice anything wrong. she wouldn't creep me out at all, she appeared very friendly to me the eyelids give her a pretty dreamy "snow white"look, i liked it , so no, i don't get freaked out by her look at all.

I don't know the answers to your questions, but I guess it is possible.

Here is another type of fake human, he's pretty cool, and he smiles more then I do lol

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3jVWwxNHMc&feature=related[/youtube]

About the woman in your video, I couldn't tell them apart, she looked very real to me.

Shadi

Wow ... that is an incredible simulation.

She's not quite perfect however, and I think I would have noticed it in time. But it doesn't appear to be long before they are perfect. Does this mean more Hollywood actors out of work?? lol

Wow, I couldn't tell her from a real version.