How real should robots and avatars be ?

A really nice video explaining the “you-have-to-know” concept of the “Uncanny Valley” first coined by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in the 1970′s : If a robot or an avatar looks too realistic but is not perfect, users will be repulsed. If they are less realistic, users will be much more likely to adopt them.

A real problem anyone dealing with virtual humans should be aware of.

And  one last thought for great author Michael Chrichton who died on tuesday..