An accessible instrument for measuring soft material mechanical properties

Soft material research has seen significant growth in recent years, with emerging applications in robotics, electronics, and healthcare diagnostics where understanding the material mechanical response is crucial for precision design. Traditional methods for measuring nonlinear mechanical properties of soft materials require specially sized samples that are extracted from their natural environment to be mounted on the testing instrument. This has been shown to compromise data accuracy and precision in various soft and biological materials. To overcome this, the Volume Controlled Cavity Expansion (VCCE) method was developed. This technique tests soft materials by controlling the formation rate of a liquid cavity inside the materials at the tip of an injection needle and simultaneously measuring the resisting pressure that describes the material response. Despite VCCE's early successes, expansion of its application beyond academia has been hindered by cost, size, and expertise. In response to this, the first portable, benchtop instrument utilizing VCCE is presented here. This device, built with affordable, readily available components and open-source software, streamlines VCCE experimentation without sacrificing performance or precision. It is especially suitable for space-limited settings and designed for use by non-experts, promoting widespread adoption. The instrument's efficacy was demonstrated through testing polydimethylsiloxane samples of varying stiffness. This study not only validates instrument performance but also sets the stage for further advancements and broader applications in soft material testing. All data, along with acquisition, control, and post-processing scripts, are made available on GitHub.