Analysis of the Categorical Uncertainty Hypothesis and the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis Using the Furhat and EDA Sensor

Background The Uncanny Valley Hypothesis (UVH) is the phenomenon that occurs when people encounter robots that are nearly indistinguishable from humans. The uncanny feeling in these situations is explained through numerous hypotheses or theories. The present study attempts to verify one of these explanations, called the Categorical Uncertainty Hypothesis (CUH). Methods A questionnaire was used to determine the placement of the Furhat robot used in this experiment along the UVH curve. Afterwards, the participants played a game of 20 questions with the Furhat robot while wearing an EDA. The EDA collected the sweat responses of the participants during their engagement with the Furhat. Results The questionnaire revealed that the Furhat robot attracted the least number of people compared to the other robots. However, this lacks statistical power due to the number of people who participated in the questionnaire. Additionally, the 20 questions game did not provide any results that supported or refuted the CUH. This potentially suggests that the CUH lacks validity to explain the UVH.