AI and Augment Costumes
Most Augments and true AIs are being made by Enterios. Enterios continues to produce AIs who are granted a level of personhood as far as the corporation is concerned and to contract people into becoming Augments to do hard labor. As such much of the technology used in Augmented limbs is the same as the artificial bodies constructed for AIs. Enterios’s design of artificial body parts is sleek and elegant. They often have smooth flowing lines, with outer shell pieces being curved. The chassis is often white or silver, with black under layers showing at joints or where plates meet. The key differences in how AIs and Augments look is that AIs will often appear to be completely robotic or will have robotic pieces showing from beneath a silicon skin shell while augments sometimes have technology overlaid on their original limbs or have had certain pieces completely replaced.
Within the last ten years AI’s have started to be built with artificial skin and it has become a common upgrade for many older models. Usually the skin still has visible seams of some sort that are reflective of the manufacturing process and allow for greater mobility of facial features. Some androids elect to look more purposefully artificial to visually separate themselves from humans while others have put effort into becoming less distinguishable. While the cost is high it is possible to create an android that is physically indistinguishable from a human by sight. Whether or not to attempt to appear human is considered by some to be a political act, and indeed some prominent AIs in the AI rights movement have very deliberately inhuman appearances, with newer models sometimes removing sections of their artificial skin to reveal the mechanical workings beneath. Some androids argue that they are treated better when they try to relate to humans, including making an effort to appear more like them while others make the argument that their personhood should be recognized without needing to compare it to humanity.
Within the last ten years AI’s have started to be built with artificial skin and it has become a common upgrade for many older models. Usually the skin still has visible seams of some sort that are reflective of the manufacturing process and allow for greater mobility of facial features. Some androids elect to look more purposefully artificial to visually separate themselves from humans while others have put effort into becoming less distinguishable. While the cost is high it is possible to create an android that is physically indistinguishable from a human by sight. Whether or not to attempt to appear human is considered by some to be a political act, and indeed some prominent AIs in the AI rights movement have very deliberately inhuman appearances, with newer models sometimes removing sections of their artificial skin to reveal the mechanical workings beneath. Some androids argue that they are treated better when they try to relate to humans, including making an effort to appear more like them while others make the argument that their personhood should be recognized without needing to compare it to humanity.
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Colors:
Most Augments don’t find it worth the extra cost to have artificial skin used on their augmented parts. Sometimes there are mechanics inserted beneath their own skin, but usually artificial limbs remain visibly metal, plastic, and wiring. Augments sometimes comment on the the nature of Enterios design being to make things that appear sleek but that are built to need constant maintenance at the hands of the company. Arm replacements are some of the most common augmentations for difficult manual labor. They help aid in construction, farming, and mining by directly improving the physical strength of the upgraded people. Navigator’s augmentations are mostly internal, interacting directly with the brainstem. They often only have visible ports at the back of the neck or behind the ears. Augmentations have been made for almost every imaginable job type though and are quite diverse in effect.
AI costumes are generally going to require some makeup if you want to visibly indicate to other players that you are an AI. This makeup can be very simple or it can be complex based on your level of skill or the time you wish to commit to it. An easy way to indicate that you’re an AI is by using eyeliner or facepaint to draw on the seams where your artificial skin connects to other segments. Androids are usually expensive and well put together. They should look clean, smooth, and sleek. While AIs can wear any style of clothing they often wear pureform or space station fashion.
- White
- Black
- Silver
- Turquoise
- Blue
Most Augments don’t find it worth the extra cost to have artificial skin used on their augmented parts. Sometimes there are mechanics inserted beneath their own skin, but usually artificial limbs remain visibly metal, plastic, and wiring. Augments sometimes comment on the the nature of Enterios design being to make things that appear sleek but that are built to need constant maintenance at the hands of the company. Arm replacements are some of the most common augmentations for difficult manual labor. They help aid in construction, farming, and mining by directly improving the physical strength of the upgraded people. Navigator’s augmentations are mostly internal, interacting directly with the brainstem. They often only have visible ports at the back of the neck or behind the ears. Augmentations have been made for almost every imaginable job type though and are quite diverse in effect.
AI costumes are generally going to require some makeup if you want to visibly indicate to other players that you are an AI. This makeup can be very simple or it can be complex based on your level of skill or the time you wish to commit to it. An easy way to indicate that you’re an AI is by using eyeliner or facepaint to draw on the seams where your artificial skin connects to other segments. Androids are usually expensive and well put together. They should look clean, smooth, and sleek. While AIs can wear any style of clothing they often wear pureform or space station fashion.
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Augmentation will be indicated by the accessories from our wearable technology lab, even if you can’t costume your augmented parts in any other way. Make sure that the back of your costume leaves room for people to interact with your wearable technology. It should go over light coats, but try to avoid hoods! If you want to indicate your augmentation further you can do so with makeup or by making robot accessories. Last year some people used real wiring and light metal pieces from the hardware store and used spirit gum to attach them. You also can use elbow and knee pads, tape off the black straps and elastic parts and spray paint them silver. You can also make a full robotic limb by using a black fabric base and attaching various materials to be the outer layer of metal or plastic. I have used craft foam or smooth pieces of a plastic jug painted silver before to keep to a low budget, but you can buy more expensives foams or moldable plastics if you want to make a more long lasting and detailed robotic part. If you’re spray painting anything i also recommend sealing it afterwards! I have found that silver spray paint especially can sometimes rub off on dark fabric.
One of my favorite small tips for making robot accessories is using googly eyes painted silver as rivets. This works on costume pieces and makeup. Rivets can be attached to your skin using eyelash glue or spirit gum. Add small lights to your costume without any knowledge of circuitry by taping batteries to single LEDs and placing them where you want them. |
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Tutorials on making robot pieces at home:
For a tighter budget craft foam robot arm tutorial: www.espionagecosmetics.com/blogs/cosplay/gaige-tutorial
Using worbla method robot arm tutorial: frekki.wordpress.com/2016/11/03/riverboatgambler-mccree-robotic-arm-tutorial/
Painting fabric method robot arm tutorial: k-ee-ran.deviantart.com/art/automail-from-cloth-tutorial-145345622
AI makeup tutorials: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhLtJ8HHatU www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-6efvS10-0 www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LlIirlIxpk
The symmetry on the face makes this look like an AI, but the same idea can be used for augment makeup: www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3UYnCYZj0w
Find more visual guides for AIs and Androids on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/ais-and-augments/
For Enterios: www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/enterios/
For a tighter budget craft foam robot arm tutorial: www.espionagecosmetics.com/blogs/cosplay/gaige-tutorial
Using worbla method robot arm tutorial: frekki.wordpress.com/2016/11/03/riverboatgambler-mccree-robotic-arm-tutorial/
Painting fabric method robot arm tutorial: k-ee-ran.deviantart.com/art/automail-from-cloth-tutorial-145345622
AI makeup tutorials: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhLtJ8HHatU www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-6efvS10-0 www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LlIirlIxpk
The symmetry on the face makes this look like an AI, but the same idea can be used for augment makeup: www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3UYnCYZj0w
Find more visual guides for AIs and Androids on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/ais-and-augments/
For Enterios: www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/enterios/
