Each fiber crossing point in the weave carries a nanorobot microcapsule filled with a liquid healing monomer. A tear ruptures every capsule inside the tear radius, and the released healing agent then spreads across the weave as a reaction–diffusion field on the fiber lattice:
∂C/∂t = D·∇²C − k_cure·C
cure(node) = ∫ k_cure·C(node,t) dt
fiber heals when cure(a) + cure(b) ≥ S_threshold
(a, b = the two nodes the fiber segment connects)
- D (diffusion rate) — how fast the agent spreads from a ruptured capsule to neighboring nodes each frame.
- k_cure (cure rate) — how fast local agent concentration converts into cured polymer at a node; higher values seal tears faster but exhaust the agent sooner.
- Capsule density — the fraction of crossings that actually carry a live capsule. A tear in a low-density patch still heals, but only from agent diffusing in sideways from neighboring capsules — repair is slower and can stall.
- Structural integrity — the load-bearing average over every fiber segment (1.0 intact, 0.0 torn, 0.85 for a healed segment — repolymerized fiber is strong but not quite as strong as virgin fiber).
This mirrors real microcapsule self-healing textiles: a torn thread ruptures nearby capsules, the monomer wicks along the yarn by capillary diffusion, and polymerization re-bridges the break — the same self-healing chemistry used in experimental smart fabrics and protective garments.