POCO

Master of Design Thesis 2025

University of Illinois Chicago

Abstract

In a world increasingly defined by digital efficiency and disembodied AI, human emotional needs are often overlooked. POCO is a soft robotic companion that reimagines the role of artificial intelligence—not as an invisible assistant, but as a tactile, emotionally responsive presence. Grounded in emotional design and soft robotics, this thesis investigates how constructive interdependence and mutualistic symbiosis can foster trust, emotional grounding, and companionship between humans and AI. POCO is designed to slow us down, to breathe with us, and to simply be present.

POCO It’s a soft, intelligent companion that transforms your smartphone into something more alive, something that understands you, moves with you, and rests beside you. In a world where our devices know everything about us but understand nothing of us, POCO becomes a presence, a creature-like body that lives with you, and supports you emotionally every day.

It’s not a robot. It’s not a pet. It’s something in between. It’s POCO.

95% of young adults use their phones every single day. But what’s even more important is what that use feels like.

70% report feeling stressed or anxious because of it. So while smartphones connect us to everything, they also overwhelm us with notifications, alerts, decisions, noise.

We’re surrounded by smart tech, but it often makes us feel less present, less grounded… even less human.

Research & Emotional Design

Understanding Loneliness, Emotional Design, and the Role of Soft Robotics

This project began with a simple, human observation: loneliness is no longer just a feeling—it’s becoming a widespread condition. As technology integrates deeper into our lives, our tools grow more efficient but less emotionally present. We are constantly connected, yet often feel unseen.

I explored how emotional design—through tactility, movement, and presence—can counteract this growing disconnect. Through user interviews, psychological research, and speculative design studies, I found that touch, even from non-human agents, plays a vital role in emotional regulation and trust-building. People don’t only want their devices to work; they want them to care.

This led me to investigate the emerging field of soft robotics, where pliable, skin-safe materials create more lifelike, responsive interactions. Unlike traditional machines, soft robots can be squeezed, stroked, held—offering comfort in a language we intuitively understand.

By merging emotional design with soft robotics, POCO was born: not just a product, but a presence. A companion that responds, supports, and reminds us that connection can be quiet, soft, and alive—even in our technology.

To understand how a robotic companion could meaningfully support emotional well-being, I conducted extensive research into the psychology of loneliness, the theory of emotional design, and the evolving field of soft robotics. I also studied how people interact with AI in their daily lives, and why current tools fail to address their emotional needs.

Loneliness in the Digital Age

Loneliness has become one of the most widespread and silent epidemics of the modern age. Studies show that even as we become more connected digitally, people report feeling more emotionally isolated than ever before. This paradox of hyper-connection and emotional disconnection became a key focus of my early research. I explored psychological studies, user surveys, and personal interviews that emphasized the lack of emotional support in daily technological interactions.

Emotional Design Principles

I was inspired by the work of Don Norman and other emotional design theorists who argue that design should not only be functional or usable, but also pleasurable and emotionally engaging. Emotional design means creating products that respond to users’ feelings, that offer comfort, and that invite interaction in gentle, human ways. For POCO, this translated into prioritizing warmth, softness, slowness, and presence over speed and utility.

Cultural and Behavioral Inspirations

I also incorporated insights from wellness practices like forest bathing, Reiki, and meditation. These practices emphasize grounding, breathing, and reconnecting with the present moment—all themes that POCO channels through its movements and presence. Design precedents like the Moflin robot, Loona, and therapeutic toys were analyzed to understand the emotional connection they could create.

This chapter synthesizes the insights that shaped the design criteria of POCO. It builds a case for why we need not just smarter devices, but emotionally attuned companions.

Tactile & Soft Robotics

Softness is not only a material choice; it’s a design philosophy. I studied soft robotics as a field that focuses on organic motion, flexible materials, and human-safe interactions. POCO draws from this field to move gently, feel alive, and offer haptic feedback. This approach helped break away from rigid, metallic stereotypes of robots and move toward something more comforting, more alive.

Trust & Human-AI Relationships

One of the most important concepts I explored was “trust.” For AI to be welcomed into intimate spaces like bedrooms, desks, or daily routines, it must be more than intelligent—it must be trustworthy. I mapped out components of trust in AI: predictability, emotional coherence, tactile feedback, and transparency. These became foundational pillars in POCO’s interaction system.aware.

Design Criteria & Vision

The design of POCO is grounded in the idea that emotional engagement is not a feature, but a fundamental necessity. The criteria that emerged from my research process serve not only as design guidelines but also as ethical principles for creating a companion technology that prioritizes care, safety, and reciprocity.

Emotional Needs Translated Into Features

From the mapping of emotional needs such as grounding, motivation, companionship, and routine-building, POCO’s key features were born:

Haptic feedback for emotional cues

Responsive movement to signal presence and attention

Breathing rhythms to support relaxation and stress recovery

Nest docking for nighttime use and sleep syncing

Touch sensors for gentle, mood-responsive interactions

POCO was made to complete that missing soul in our tech.

But it can’t live on its own.

It needs your phone—your voice, your data, your daily rhythm—to wake up.

When you attach it, you’re not just docking a device…

You’re giving it life.

POCO listens, responds, and grows with you, moment by moment.

Human-Centered Design (HCD)

POCO’s design began with mapping out user needs across emotional, physical, and contextual domains. From sleep and stress to companionship and presence, the aim was to understand when and how a user might need emotional support—and how a nonverbal companion might fulfill that role.

HCD informed both the software interface and the physical interaction system. Through storyboarding, empathy mapping, and direct feedback loops with users and peers, POCO evolved from a general concept into a user-driven experience.

Engineering Meets Emotion

At the heart of POCO is a combination of simple microcontrollers, capacitive touch sensors, and vibration motors. The core logic is written to adapt over time, responding to frequency and intensity of user engagement. Movement and response patterns are modeled to mimic organic behaviors, not mechanical ones.

This system is not only reactive but also expressive. By focusing on how POCO “breathes,” “rests,” and “awakens,” I emphasized emotion over execution. POCO is designed not to perform, but to feel present.

This chapter documents the systemic structure of POCO and outlines how each layer—hardware, software, and human interaction—was shaped by empathy, slowness, and a belief in technology that cares.

Exploring Character & Emotion

POCO doesn’t require fancy new tech.

Most of what it needs is already inside your phone.

Interaction Flow

POCO’s interaction model is built around the rhythm of daily life. It supports the user across moments of:

Before (preparation):

Gentle reminders, motivational nudges

During (presence):

Calming motion, touch responses

After (reflection):

Slow blinking or soft pulsing as acknowledgment, supporting emotional digestion

Defining Success

Success for POCO is not measured in user retention or data collection, but in emotional resonance. If users begin to speak to it, touch it for comfort, or miss it when it’s not present, the design is fulfilling its purpose.

This chapter frames the vision for POCO as a new category of product: one that lives with you, feels with you, and encourages you to slow down and reconnect with yourself.

Dezeen Design Magazine

https://www.dezeen.com/2025/05/10/industrial-design-projects-students-uic-school-of-design/

UIC website for Year end show :

https://yes.design.uic.edu/graduate/mehrnaz-amouei

Acknowledgments

I am deeply grateful to my thesis advisor, Brian Anderson, for guiding me through this journey with insight, encouragement, and trust in my vision. To Sung Jang, Kimberlee Wilkens and TJ O’Keefe for their thoughtful feedback and support, thank you.

Finally, This project would not have been possible without the friends that alwase support me.