Situated and Sustainable Interactive Systems: Fabricating Sensing, Actuation and Intelligence into Everyday Materials by Dr Narges Pourjafarian

Abstract

Interactive systems are increasingly moving beyond screens and into the materials, surfaces, and objects of everyday life. Yet creating such systems remains difficult because current workflows often separate digital design from physical fabrication, rely on rigid and disposable electronics, and require specialized expertise in sensing, actuation, and embedded systems. In this talk, I will
present my research on human-centered tools and platforms for fabricating interactive systems directly on bodies, textiles, everyday objects, and complex 3D surfaces. I will discuss how computational guidance, embedded sensing, actuation, and robotic assistance can make physical interfaces more situated, customizable, and accessible. I will also outline my future agenda on sustainable interactive systems, including repairable electronics, self-powered interfaces, and material-integrated platforms that embed sensing, actuation, and computation directly into everyday materials.

 

About the Speaker

Dr. Narges Pourjafarian is a Postdoctoral Associate at Northeastern University, working at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction, interactive fabrication, embedded sensing, wearable systems, and sustainable electronics. Her research develops human-centered tools and platforms that enable sensing, actuation, and computation to be integrated into everyday materials, bodies, textiles, and 3D objects. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Saarland University, and has held research appointments at Cornell University and MIT. Her work has been published in leading HCI and computing venues including CHI, UIST, IMWUT, and SIGGRAPH, receiving multiple distinctions including Best Paper and Honorable Mention awards. Her long-term research vision is to make
interactive technologies more situated, customizable, and sustainable through advances in computational design, embedded systems, and material-aware fabrication.