Too close for comfort : Finding positive aesthetic value in the uncanny valley

Abstract: 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.