Have you ever seen a robot that felt just a little too lifelike, to the point where you felt uneasy? Do you cringe at movies like Disney's Mars Needs Moms, or The Polar Express, because something about the animation just doesn't sit right with you? If so, you've taken a dive into what's called the Uncanny Valley, a concept which suggests that humanoid objects which imperfectly resemble actual human beings provoke uncanny or strangely familiar feelings of eeriness and revulsion. We called Kenneth "Ken" Yigael Goldberg — a researcher in the field of robotics and automation — to learn more about the bizarre and fascinating phenomenon.
