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Leaping the Uncanny Valley

Posted by timothy on from the compare-this-to-the-final-fantasty-movie dept.

reachums submits this glance at "the newest level of computer animation," intended to get past the paradoxical "uncanny valley" — that is, the way animated humans actually can appear jarring as the animation gets hyper-realistic. "This short video gives us a glimpse of what we can hope to see in the future of computer games and movies. Emily is not a real actress, but she looks like a real person, something we haven't truly seen before in computer animation."

6 of 421 comments (clear)

  1. We've heard this before by CRCulver · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There was much talk about the uncanny value when Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within came out after Square had promised for years that it would have realistic humans. A common criticism was that the human beings were real enough to inspire comfort for long enough that one would be then shaken by their lack of certain flexibility and the bloodlessness of their faces. Dr Aki was more creepy than sexy.

    1. Re:We've heard this before by Darundal · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Actually, for me the lips were off. Most of the time they were fine, but sometimes they would get a little too wide, or their shape would be slightly off.

  2. Not really animation by neverutterwhen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From what i understood, this is simply an easier kind of motion capture that works straight from video without the need for sensors etc. That's not the same as creative animation, you still need a real person talking and moving.

    --
    My appreciation of Douglas Adams is far deeper than yours.
  3. Wow, quite amazing. by anomnomnomymous · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am amazed at the quality of this animation: Still, I could see there was -something- wrong with her, but could not put my finger on it. (this was of course also influenced since I -knew- she was fake before watching the vid).

    Btw, here's a direct link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLiX5d3rC6o
    Be sure to tick the 'Watch in high quality' when the video opens (anyone knows a way to do that automatically in a link?)

    --
    When you shoot a mime, do you use a silencer?
  4. The demo is a streaming video ?!? by DrYak · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yay ! Wonderful low-bandwidth youtube streaming video in all its glorious crap-quality !
    The best way to show technical demos about photo-realism !

    I can't wait to see the thumbnail sized 60%-quality jpeg screen caps, too !

    I feel as much informed about the quality as when watching all those wonderful ads about hiddef screens on the TV.

    ---

    Common, Image Metrics, can't you just post a descent hi-quality video file, so we can actually see what your technology looks like ?

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
  5. Re:How true was this? by Travis+Mansbridge · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Many of the examples you've given don't cross over into "uncanny valley" territory - nobody would get stuffed animals confused with real animals, or people. The things considered to be in the "uncanny valley" are generally attempts at photorealistic humans that get close enough to confuse the observer, and then turn disturbing when they act in an unnatural way. It is similar to your glass of water example, however this is cognitive dissonance on a higher level, because it's dealing with "real" people and sometimes "real" emotions.