Self-healing and self-repairing technologies

This article reviews the existing work in selfhealing and self-repairing technologies, including work in software engineering, materials, mechanics, electronics, MEMS, self-reconfigurable robotics, and others. It suggests a terminology and taxonomy for self-healing and selfrepair, and discusses the various related types of other self-* This work is supported by the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Though-life Engineering Services. R. Frei ( ) · R. McWilliam · B. Derrick · A. Purvis EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Through-life Engineering Services, University of Durham, Durham, DH1 3LE UK e-mail: [email protected] R. McWilliam e-mail: [email protected] B. Derrick e-mail: [email protected] A. Purvis e-mail: [email protected] R. Frei Intelligent Systems and Networks Group, Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ UK A. Tiwari EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Through-life Engineering Services, Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL UK e-mail: [email protected] G. Di Marzo Serugendo Institute of Services Science, Faculty of Social and Economics Science, University of Geneva, 1227 Carouge, Switzerland e-mail: [email protected] properties. The mechanisms and methods leading to selfhealing are reviewed, and common elements across disciplines are identified.