Virtual Characters Meet the Uncanny Valley: A Literature Review Based on the Web of Science Core Collection (2007-2022)

Abstract

Following the robots, whether virtual characters (VC) will cause the uncanny valley (UV) effect has become a new topic of UV studies, and also a topic that cannot be avoided by VC design and human-VC interaction. Based on the Web of Science core collection (WoSCC), this paper reviews literature on the topics of both the VC and UV (2007-2022) by summarizing the trends and methods research. It groups studies into three categories: verifying the UV and its influencing factors; suggestions for avoiding the UV; possibilities for crossing the UV. We suggest that, under current technological conditions, finding a proper balance between abstraction and high realism to avoid the risk of the UV is a sound choice for VC design, while also providing suggestions for future research.