Kevin A. Szerszen

Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis

Papers

Total Citations

228

H-Index

About

Kevin A. Szerszen is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction and perceptual psychology, best known for pioneering work on the uncanny valley phenomenon. His most influential contribution, the 2011 paper “A Mismatch in the Human Realism of Face and Voice Produces an Uncanny Valley” (228 citations), fundamentally expanded the field by demonstrating that the unsettling feeling of the uncanny valley arises not only from visual imperfections but also from mismatches between sensory modalities—specifically, between a character’s face and voice. This insight reshaped how roboticists and animators design believable social agents. Szerszen’s research bridges cognitive science and robotics, exploring how humans perceive and emotionally respond to artificial beings. His work has been widely cited in both academic literature and industry guidelines for humanoid design, influencing everything from virtual assistants to animated films. By revealing that perceptual consistency is key to avoiding eeriness, Szerszen has provided a critical framework for creating more natural and comfortable human-machine interactions.