Background

In today’s globalized and increasingly mobile world, long-distance romantic relationships (LDRRs) have become an everyday reality for many couples. According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS, 2023), over 17% of couples report living apart due to work, education, or immigration-related circumstances. While often seen as a modern test of love and technology, LDRRs carry a persistent emotional burden: the absence of physical presence and the erosion of non-verbal emotional intimacy.

Traditional digital tools—messaging apps, video calls, and social media—offer immediacy but fail to replicate the subtle physical cues that convey emotional depth: a hug, a shared breath, the rhythm of a heartbeat. These seemingly small cues are essential to sustaining a sense of closeness, trust, and psychological security in a relationship. When they are missing, emotional misunderstanding, misalignment, or even emotional withdrawal can occur silently and frequently.

Studies reveal that 40% of long-distance couples eventually break up, with communication breakdown cited as a major cause (ForwardPathway, 2024). The root issue lies not in a lack of willingness to communicate—but in the limitations of current digital channels to deliver embodied emotional signals.

From 2012 to 2021, a total of 1,324,000 fires in residential premises occurred in China, causing 11,634 deaths and 6,738 injuries, with direct property losses amounting to 7.77 billion yuan; of these, 429 were large fires, causing 1,579 deaths and 329 injuries; there were two major fires, causing 26 deaths.

In 2021, a total of 748,000 fires were reported in China, a year-on-year increase of 196.8%; the number of fire deaths was 1987, a year-on-year increase of 68%, and the number of fire injuries was 2,225, a year-on-year increase of 187.1%. Among them, the number of casualties caused by fires in residential places accounted for 86% of all fire casualties, which had a serious impact.

On 15 November 2010, a fire engulfed a 28-story apartment building in Shanghai, leading to the death of at least 58 people and injuring over 70, with some sources citing over 120 injuries.

The fire was triggered by sparks from unlicensed welders working on the building, which set the scaffolding alight. The rescue efforts faced challenges due to slow response times and the building's complex structure.

Manufacture

On 15 November 2010, a fire engulfed a 28-story apartment building in Shanghai, leading to the death of at least 58 people and injuring over 70, with some sources citing over 120 injuries.

The fire was triggered by sparks from unlicensed welders working on the building, which set the scaffolding alight. The rescue efforts faced challenges due to slow response times and the building's complex structure.

In order to experiment with the realisability of the shape, the straw moulds were first tested with a high-density foam board

High density foam boards are uniform in texture and easy to cut, with bamboo stick links for fitting stability

Based on the sketch, draw the details of the top view on the foam board — Split the foam board into small pieces with a saw — Split the foam board into small pieces with a saw — Making link structures such as fan blades, bearings, etc. — X-shaped bamboo skewers on the articulating surfaces — Straw model completed

Modeling

After modelling the robot's appearance and engineering, I carried out a structural mechanical analysis and tested the model to see if it met the requirements for 3D printing.

After passing the test, the printed resin parts were subjected to a series of operations, such as sanding-assembling-painting-air-drying-secondary painting (metallic paint), to obtain the desired model.

Background

Manufacture

Modeling

Final Design

Exploded View

Usage Scenario