Twice this morning I have come across the term Uncanny Valley and it really makes me think about 3D character animation. Since I work with 3D characters almost every day – in Shade or Shade friendly products like Poser, it explains why some characters can unintentionally creep you out while others are exceedingly charming.
Hanako for Shade is a reasonably realistic character. She seems mostly in proportion for a Japanese woman, with just a bit of extra shine you would expect from a Japanese character. Hanako is an extremely popular character among users of Shade, but she is outshined in Japan by a newer character called Tully. I am currently working on the English localization of Tully, and will post some pics here and elsewhere so you can see what I’m talking about.
Ponder on Hanako for a moment, then check out the Repliee female android developed at Osaka University.
Oooh, Repliee is creepy! It look realistic in ways but too realistic.