E-Textiles Network Webinar – Can Generative AI Help Design E-Textiles? Evidence from Two Workshops and a Sensor-Placement Study

E-Textiles Network Webinar – Can Generative AI Help Design E-Textiles? Evidence from Two Workshops and a Sensor-Placement Study

Presented by Dr Xiao Yu and Zhuchenyang Liu, Aalto University

E-textile design sits at the intersection of materials science, electronics, garment design, and machine learning—a multidisciplinary scope few practitioners can master entirely. This webinar presents new evidence on where generative AI adds value in e‑textile design—and how humans can collaborate with it effectively.

We will present findings from two recent studies. First, in co-design workshops held in Shanghai and Winchester, practitioners mapped their design pipelines, pinpointed key bottlenecks, and established clear boundaries for where they do—and do not—want AI intervention. Second, in a case study on flex-sensor placement for shoulder motion detection, we compared designs generated by large language models (LLMs) alone, human designers alone, and human-AI collaborations. The results were revealing: while AI collaboration enabled the least experienced designer to match the best human-only output, it actually hindered the performance of the most experienced designer.

Together, these studies outline a roadmap for developing human-centered AI for e-textile design.  

This webinar took place on Tuesday 22nd September 2026 12.00-13.00 (BST).