Don't look now: How a robot's gaze can affect the human brain

FILE PHOTO: The head of Ai-Da, a humanoid robot capable of drawing people from life using her bionic eyes and hand, is seen in the offices of robotics company Engineered Arts, in Falmouth, Cornwall, Britain February 7, 2019. REUTERS/Matthew Stock/File Photo

(Reuters) - It has long been known that making eye contact with a robot can be an unsettling experience. Scientists even have a name for the queasy feeling: the "uncanny valley".

Now, thanks to researchers in Italy, we also know it's more than just a feeling.