Robots can wear clothes for the same reasons the rest of us do. They add a layer of protection that's easier to mend and clean, they help bridge the uncanny valley, and they are one of the few ways to make pattern-welded steel and plastics look even sharper. For all the hassle it may add to maintenance, the layered, smooth curves of the Damascene line addresses a complaint that BTI has had with most Ignis offerings; they play much nicer with fabrics, reducing snags and making the process of wearing uniforms and other garments far easier than before. Ignis has not shied away from using this as one more way to set their new offerings apart from the rest.

Until recently, the habit of dressing up individual robots, even those used for telepresence, was fairly rare, with BTI's practice of such standing out as nearly unique. Ignis has high hopes that encouraging doing so will make the units an easier sell to the wider public sectors and, ideally, broaden their use beyond assembly lines.

Art: ZerosPanda