Elif is an interdisciplinary researcher working at the intersection of design, materials science, artificial intelligence and physical AI, with a particular focus on how materials, computation and human-centred design can be brought together to create new forms of materials intelligence, interaction and innovation.
She is Reader in Smart Materials and Senior Tutor in Textiles at the Royal College of Art, Co-Lead of the Creative Intelligence Exchange, and Lead of its Material Intelligence research area. Her research spans AI-enabled design and manufacturing systems, smart and responsive materials, intelligent textiles, physical AI and robotics, wearable technologies, sensing, sustainable manufacturing and material-data ecosystems.
Trained as a textile engineer and materials scientist, Elif received her BSc in Textile Engineering from Istanbul Technical University and PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Sabanci University. She undertook part of her doctoral research at the University of Cambridge and later received a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship to develop graphene-based technologies for wearable communication. She also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Art and Design Education from the Royal College of Art.
Her work increasingly investigates how AI can extend beyond digital content generation towards materially grounded and physically embodied intelligence: systems that can recognise, interpret and reason with materials; interact with physical environments; support human decision-making; and become integrated into textiles, wearables, products and robotic systems.
Across more than seventeen years of research, Elif has led and contributed to interdisciplinary projects spanning academia, industry, healthcare and the creative sectors. Her portfolio has generated peer-reviewed research, patents, licensed technologies, AI tools, commercially launched products and award-winning industry collaborations. As Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator, she has contributed to securing more than £2.5 million in research funding from organisations including InnoHK/AiDLab, Horizon 2020, Innovate UK, AHRC, the Royal Academy of Engineering, TUBITAK and industry partners.
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Research interests
Elif's research explores the convergence of Material Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence and Physical AI, examining how material knowledge, sensing, computation and human interaction can become integrated within intelligent products, manufacturing systems and design processes.
As Co-Lead of the Creative Intelligence Exchange and Lead of Material Intelligence, she is developing research around materials as active components of intelligent systems. Her work investigates how AI can recognise and reason with material properties and behaviours, how physical materials can become interfaces between humans and computational systems, and how soft and textile structures can contribute to emerging physical AI and wearable applications.
A major strand of her current research focuses on AI-enabled material and textile systems. This includes computer vision and multimodal AI for material recognition, material-data infrastructures, AI-assisted design and decision-support systems, digital material passports, traceability and supply-chain intelligence. Her work considers not only technical performance but also how these systems can be designed around human expertise, uncertainty, provenance and responsible decision-making.
Alongside this, Elif continues to develop research in smart wearables, e-textiles and sensing, including textile-based physiological monitoring, body-centric communication and responsive material systems. Building on her earlier work in graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanofibres and advanced composites, she investigates how material innovation can be translated from nano- and meso-scale structures into wearable, interactive and physically embodied systems.
Her practice crosses design, computer science, robotics, aerospace engineering, electronics, fashion and textile design, and connects fundamental materials research with applied design innovation, knowledge exchange and commercial translation.
Research funding
As Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator, Elif has contributed to securing more than £2.5 million in research funding across AI, design innovation, advanced materials, textiles, manufacturing and knowledge exchange. Selected projects include:
- FabricFlow: AI-Integrated Textile Supply Ecosystem. InnoHK AiDLab / Hong Kong Government Science Ministry, 2025–2028 — Principal Investigator.
- Consultancy on Weaving Techniques. Amphico / InnovationRCA, 2025 — Principal Investigator.
- Eats and Algorithms: Digitising Food Consumer Experience for a Sustainable Future. Sodexo, 2024–2025 — Principal Investigator.
- Adaptive Knitted Childrenswear. Innovate UK AKT with Petit Pli, 2024–2025 — Principal Investigator.
- BBNET – CIF_Aug24_LA06_Dumanli-Parry. 2024–2025 — Co-Investigator.
- Manufacturing 3D Woven Aerospace Composite Structures. TÜBİTAK, 2023 — Co-Investigator.
- Biodegradable and Recyclable Graphene-Based Clothing. Innovate UK Smart Grant, 2022–2024 — Co-Investigator / Academic PI.
- Remote Respiration Monitoring Through Wearable Textile-Based Sensors. Royal Academy of Engineering, 2021–2023 — RCA Principal Investigator.
- Graphene TechWear. Versarien, 2021–2022 — Principal Investigator.
- Smart Clothing & Textiles for Healthcare and Wellbeing: A Research and Learning Network. University of California Global Affairs Fund, 2021 — RCA Principal Investigator.
- Future Fashion Factory – MYVIVO. AHRC Creative Clusters, 2021 — Co-Investigator.
- BP Sparkling Knowledge Exchange Project. 2021–2022 — Co-Investigator.
- Graphene-Based Fibre and Fabric for Fashion: Performance Wear. UKRI Creative Industries Fund, 2021 — Co-Investigator.
- Crafting Technology for Textiles. AHRC Research Networking Grant, 2020–2021 — Principal Investigator.
- Intelligent Design System for Innovation (RP2-5). RCA / PolyU AiDLab, 2020–2025 — Co-Investigator.
- NSG Glass: Glass in a Connected World. NSG Glass, 2019 — Co-Investigator.
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (GFSMART): Design and Integration of Graphene Fibre-Based Antennas for Smart Textiles. Horizon 2020, 2018–2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow / Principal Investigator.
- Photonic Textile Integrated System to Improve Operator Productivity and Comfort. SBRI Competition – Protecting Nuclear Decommissioning Operators, 2018 — Co-Investigator.
- Production of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Nanoprepregs and Their Use in Thermoplastic Composites. TÜBİTAK, 2017–2019 — Principal Investigator.
- Scale-Up Development and Fabrication of Multifunctional High-Strength Electrically Conductive Graphene Fibres. TÜBİTAK, 2017–2018 — Co-Investigator.
- Ultra High-Performance Conductive Thermoplastic Nanocomposites by 3D Printing. Boeing Global Technologies, 2016–2018 — Co-Investigator.
- Production of High-Temperature Nanofibre Proton Exchange Membranes via Electrospinning. TÜBİTAK, 2014–2017 — Principal Investigator.
- Carbon Nanotube-Based Composite Yarns via Designing Interface. ITU BAP, 2014–2016 — Principal Investigator.
- Designing Interface via Multi-Scale Modelling in Carbon Nanotube–Polymer Composite Nanofibre/Yarns. TÜBİTAK, 2014–2015 — Principal Investigator.
- Textile Design Centre for People with Disabilities. ISTKA, 2014–2015 — Co-Investigator.
Awards
Wandsworth Business Innovation Award (2025)
Awarded in association with the Innovate UK/Petit Pli adaptive knitted childrenswear collaboration and its commercial translation.
Royal College of Art Knowledge Exchange Champion Award (2022-23)
Awarded for Best Value Knowledge Exchange Partnership, recognising research-led collaboration and impact beyond academia.
Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (2018-2020)
European Commission Horizon 2020 fellowship for GFSMART: Design and Integration of Graphene Fibre-Based Antennas for Smart Textiles.
Dr Gürsel Sönmez Research Award, Sabanci University (2013)
Research award recognising academic achievement and research excellence.
Current and recent projects
FabricFlow: AI-Integrated Textile Supply Ecosystem — InnoHK AiDLab / Hong Kong Government Science Ministry, 2025–2028 — Principal Investigator. AI-enabled textile ecosystem integrating fabric recognition, Digital Fabric Passports and AI-supported material and supply-chain intelligence.
Eats and Algorithms: Digitising Food Consumer Experience for a Sustainable Future — Sodexo, 2024–2025 — Principal Investigator. Design-led research exploring data, digital technologies and sustainable food-service experiences.
Adaptive Knitted Childrenswear — Innovate UK AKT with Petit Pli, 2024–2025 — Principal Investigator. Development of adaptable knitted structures for childrenswear, progressing to commercial product development and the Wandsworth Business Innovation Award.
Intelligent Design System for Innovation (RP2-5) — RCA / PolyU AiDLab, 2020–2025 — Co-Investigator. Research into AI-enabled material identification, fabric selection and design systems, contributing to the development of AiLoupe.
Biodegradable and Recyclable Graphene-Based Clothing — Innovate UK Smart Grant, 2022–2024 — Co-Investigator / Academic PI. Research translating graphene-enabled textile technologies towards sustainable and commercially applicable clothing systems with Nanoloom.
Remote Respiration Monitoring Through Wearable Textile-Based Sensors — Royal Academy of Engineering, 2021–2023, with translation and licensing activity continuing into 2024 — RCA Principal Investigator. Development of textile-based respiration sensing technologies for healthcare and wellbeing, leading to licensed intellectual property with Ertunç Özcan Medical Technologies.
Selected research, industry and knowledge-exchange collaborators
- AiDLab / Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2020-present) - AI-enabled design systems, material intelligence and FabricFlow.
- Sodexo (2024-2025) - Eats and Algorithms; digital food experience and sustainable service-system innovation.
- Petit Pli (2024-2025) - adaptive knitted childrenswear; Innovate UK knowledge exchange and commercial product development.
- Ertunc Ozcan Medical Technologies (2024) - wearable textile respiration sensing and licensed technology.
- Nanoloom (2024) - graphene-enabled elastic yarn technology and commercialisation.
- Versarien (2021-2022) - graphene-enabled textiles and performance-wear development.
- Boeing Global Technologies (2016-2018) - advanced conductive thermoplastic composites and high-performance additive manufacturing materials.
- Vivobarefoot (2021) - Future Fashion Factory / MYVIVO research collaboration.
- Istanbul Modern Museum (2021) - Thinking Through Making public engagement and material innovation programme.
- BP (2021-2022) - knowledge exchange collaboration.
- NSG Glass (2019) - Glass in a Connected World design-led innovation programme.
Publications, exhibitions, other outcomes
Selected publications
- Fang, C., Guo, J., Khiatani, P.V., Lin, H., Zhang, B., Ozden-Yenigun, E.O. & Wang, S.J. (2026). Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Profiling Designers' Adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Professional Design Practice. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1–27.
- Hatfield, L., Jansen, C., Ma, Z., Tuo, B., Ozden-Yenigun, E. & Baurley, S. (2025). An Evaluation Study of AiLoupe: An AI-Driven Design Tool to Source and Select Textile Materials. The Design Journal, 28(6), 1195–1218.
- Arslan-Catak, D., Yildiz, K., Ozden-Yenigun, E. & Cebeci, H. (2025). Textile Sensor Geometries for Wearable Respiration Systems Incorporating Carbon Nanotube-Based Conductive Inks. Applied Materials Today, 45, 102824.
- Dincer, M., Karci, E., Sahin, I.H., Emre, C., Ozkendirci, B., Ozden-Yenigun, E. & Cebeci, H. (2023). Effect of Linear Density on the Mechanical Properties of 3D Spacer Composites with Improved Manufacturing Quality. Composite Structures, 323, 117518.
- Alrai, A., Beyhan, E., Asadi, A., Ozden-Yenigun, E. & Cebeci, H. (2023). Tailoring Piezoresistive Response of Carbon Nanotube Sensors by Hybridisation of Cellulose Nanocrystals for Composite Structures. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 362, 114633.
- Yildiz, A., Emanetoğlu, U., Ozden-Yenigun, E. & Cebeci, H. (2022). Towards Optimized Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Polyetherimide 3D-Printed Structures: A Comparative Study on Testing Standards. Composite Structures, 290, 115853.
- Köken, D., Top, A., Cebeci, F.C., Turgut, F., Bozalı, B., Ozden-Yenigun, E., Solak, N. & Cebeci, H. (2022). Effective Growth of Hierarchical BNNTs/SiC Fibres with Enhanced Interfacial Properties. Composites Science and Technology, 216, 109033.
- Ergoktas, M.S., Bakan, G., Steiner, P., Bartlam, C., Malevich, Y., Ozden-Yenigun, E. et al. (2020). Graphene-Enabled Adaptive Infrared Textiles. Nano Letters, 20(7), 5346–5352.
- Ibanez-Labiano, I., Ergoktas, M.S., Kocabas, C., Toomey, A., Alomainy, A. & Ozden-Yenigun, E. (2020). Graphene-Based Soft Wearable Antennas. Applied Materials Today, 20, 100727.
For the full list of publications since 2010, please visit Google Scholar and the RCA Research Repository.
International patents and intellectual property
- Stable Electrospinning Composition for Stable Nano-/Sub-Microstructure Production and Preparation Method Thereof, WO 2016190826 / PCT/TR2015/000227, published 2016.
- Hierarchical Micro/Nano Materials, TR 2017/22996.
International exhibitions and public engagement
- Guner, H. & Ozden-Yenigun, E. (2026). C-Wear: Wearable Respiration Sensors. World Health Expo, Dubai, UAE, 9 February 2026.
- Baurley, S., Ozden-Yenigun, E., Hatfield, L. & Jansen, C. (2024). AiLoupe. London Design Festival, London, UK, September 2024.
- Colour That Lasts (2024). Colour Made Manifest, Battersea, London, UK, July 2024.
- Baurley, S., Ozden-Yenigun, E., Hatfield, L., Jansen, C. & Tuo, B. (2024). AiLoupe. Source Fashion, London, UK, and CentreStage, Hong Kong, 2024.
- Baurley, S., Ozden-Yenigun, E., Hatfield, L., Jansen, C., Ma, Z. & Tuo, B. (2024). AiLoupe. Future Fabrics Expo, London, UK, June 2024.
- Dumanli-Parry, A.G., Lonsdale, K., Ozden-Yenigun, E., Ren, H., Tan, X. & Zhang, H. (2023). Animate Materials: Exploring Nature-Inspired Dynamic Color Adaptation. Public-facing research exhibition, September 2023.
- Ozden-Yenigun, E. et al. (2021). Thinking Through Making: Crafting Technology for Textiles. Public engagement and workshop programme developed in collaboration with Istanbul Modern, Istanbul, Türkiye, 2021.
- Ozden-Yenigun, E. et al. (2020). Smart Textiles for Healthcare and Wellbeing: A Collaborative Approach. IFAI 2020 Virtual Exhibition Booth and public talk, November 2020.
- Toomey, A., Winters, A., Ozden-Yenigun, E. & Robertson, S. (2019). Surfaces, Structures & Soft Systems. Textile Intersections, Loughborough University London, UK, 12–14 September 2019.
- Toomey, A. & Ozden-Yenigun, E. (2019). Graphene-Based Soft Antennas. Science is Wonderful, Brussels, Belgium, 25–26 September 2019.
- Ozden-Yenigun, E. (2019). Soft Graphene-Based Antennas for Ultrawideband Wireless Communication. Smart Textiles Salon, Marrakech, Morocco, 15 November 2019.
- Ozden-Yenigun, E. (2018). Prototypes Through Crafting Technology. RCA: Design <> Research exhibition, London, UK, 22–23 September 2018.
Research community leadership, conference organisation and chairing
- Co-Chair, Bodies in Design Track, Design Research Society Conference, Edinburgh (2026).
- Vice Chair, AI Working Group, Marie Curie Alumni Association (2025-present).
- International Scientific Committee / Polymer Composites Session, PPS-40, Auckland (2025).
- General Co-Chair, Wearables Collective, UC Davis (2024).
- Polymer Composites Session Organiser, PPS-39, Colombia (2024).
- Polymer Composites Session Organiser, PPS-37 (2022).
- Organising Committee, ChemFest and 150th Anniversary of the Periodic Table programme (2019).
- Co-Chair, International Conference on Advances in Composite Materials and Structures, Istanbul (2015).
- Organising Committee, 5th International Istanbul Textile Congress: Inspire to Innovate (2015).
Editorial leadership
- Guest Editor, Journal of Engineering Design - Special Issue on Small Language Models for Design and Supply Chain Applications (2025).
- Guest Editor, The Design Journal - Wearables Collective Special Issue: Designing Wearable Technologies for Health and Wellbeing (2024-2026).
- Guest Editor, Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice, Soft Systems Issue
