Sama Moustafa

Undergraduate Student

Faculty of Engineering

Western University

Member from 2023 to present

Sama is an undergrad at the Faculty of Engineering at Western University (London, ON). She worked as a Research Assistant at the iStudio since she was in high school as part of her co-op. She innovated creative design of interactive tangible interfaces for people with seasonal depression that won the FLASF 2023 Silver Medal Award of the Regional Science Fair, and in 2024 published at the ACM International Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (DIS) her first paper at the age of 17!

Publications

Sama Moustafa, Jannah Sultan, Sammi Wang, Sara Nabil

Fabric-Lego: 3D-Printing Fabric-Based Lego-Compatible Designs for Assistive Wearables, Personalization, and Self-Expression Proceedings Article

In: Companion Publication of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference, pp. 209–213, Association for Computing Machinery, IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 2024, ISBN: 9798400706325.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@inproceedings{10.1145/3656156.3663705,

title = {Fabric-Lego: 3D-Printing Fabric-Based Lego-Compatible Designs for Assistive Wearables, Personalization, and Self-Expression},

author = {Sama Moustafa and Jannah Sultan and Sammi Wang and Sara Nabil},

url = {https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3656156.3663705

https://labs.cs.queensu.ca/istudio/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/12/3656156.3663705.pdf

https://youtu.be/6wrl-2oxJu8},

doi = {10.1145/3656156.3663705},

isbn = {9798400706325},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

urldate = {2024-01-01},

booktitle = {Companion Publication of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference},

pages = {209–213},

publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},

address = {IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark},

series = {DIS '24 Companion},

abstract = {Medical braces and assistive wearables serve critical functions in supporting mobility and aiding individuals with temporary disabilities. However, these devices often lack aesthetic appeal and fail to provide personal expression, leading to psychological challenges and social stigma. We propose a novel fabrication method, Fabric-Lego, which combines 3D-printing with traditional garment-making (pattern-making, sewing, ironing, and overlocking) to address these shortcomings. By integrating customizable Lego®-like blocks into wearable fabrics in accessible DIY ways, users can personalize their wearables while maintaining comfort and functionality. We present the fabrication process, including insights on materiality, pre-processing, 3D-printing, and post-processing steps. To demonstrate the design space and potential applications of our method, we implemented 3 prototypes: 1) a customizable arm sling cover, 2) a customizable finger splint cover, and 3) a T-shirt with integrated blocks. This approach offers a promising path for enhancing the user experience and empowering individuals to embrace their unique identities.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}