Custom setups
Built around your experiment
Reconfigure the frame or combine multiple machines for specialized, coordinated test arrangements.
Thymos: Modular Research & Testing Systems
A compact, versatile platform for mechanical testing, research and education, combining programmable motion, force measurement, remote control and camera-based analysis for R&D and rapid prototyping.
Core Capabilities & Key Features
Thymos combines flexible mechanics, programmable testing and open control in one adaptable platform for research, industry and education.
Versatile & Adaptable Architecture
Reconfigure the same compact frame in vertical, horizontal, or any other arrangements and change fixtures around the specimen instead of building a dedicated rig for each test.
Open & Fully Modifiable Design
Open-source hardware and software with standard aluminum profiles and 3D-printable parts. Easily modify, expand, repair or replicate the system for specific research and educational needs.
Smart App & Console Control
Control motion, monitor measurements and run programmable sequences through an intuitive web interface, with console access for advanced control, diagnostics and system integration.
Multiple Test Configurations & Arrangements
Reconfigure the same hardware for vertical, horizontal or side-oriented tests, with custom arrangements for unique experimental needs.
Slide to preview a setup and explore its details.
Reconfigure the same frame.
Choose the orientation that suits your specimen and test method, with the same core hardware and control chain.
Standard universal vertical loading
A compact footprint and a direct vertical load axis for tension, compression and conventional material testing.
- Compact laboratory footprint
- Direct access to grips, supports and specimen
- Convenient alignment along the vertical load axis
Horizontal loading with specimen support
Apply load horizontally while supporting specimens that cannot carry their own weight, or when the experiment needs special access to the specimen or working area.
- Support gravity-sensitive specimens from below
- Apply the test load in the horizontal direction
- Adapt access to the specimen and working area
Horizontal loading with gravity-assisted tests
Use a side-oriented frame for horizontal loading with an alternative working area. Gravity can act on the specimen as an additional load, for example through an attached weight.
- Apply the main test load horizontally
- Use gravity or added weights on the specimen
- Combine horizontal loading with vertical weight
Shared hardware & control
The same actuator, controller and measurement workflow.
Flexible specimen access
Adapt the orientation to your geometry and fixtures.
Camera-friendly layouts
Keep a clear view for optical measurements.
Custom arrangements
Combine machines for coordinated experiments.
Open Modular Hardware for Custom Experimental Setups
Thymos uses standard T-slot aluminum profiles, replaceable fixtures and 3D-printable parts to create a modular mechanical base that is easy to adapt, extend and rebuild for different setups.
- Rapid Prototyping: Build and revise small test setups without changing the complete machine architecture.
- Standard Mechanical Base: Use standard profiles and replaceable parts so changes stay localized, serviceable and easy to reproduce.
- Custom Fixtures & Components: Modify grips, supports and attachments or print project-specific components around the specimen geometry.
- Sensor & Interface Access: Integrate additional sensors and project-specific hardware through accessible mechanical and software interfaces.
Μοῖρα — Test Control, Data & Reporting
Moira is a locally running, web-based workspace for preparing experiments, running test procedures, inspecting recorded data and creating outputs, independent of the device’s operating system.
The interface can also be used from a phone or tablet to remotely supervise a running setup.
Main workspace
Remote device
Online Control & Remote Devices
Use Moira on desktop systems and supported mobile devices, including phones used as a remote interface for monitoring and control.
Test Procedures & ISO Support
Build repeatable loading procedures and use support for ISO-based test workflows where standardized steps, limits and recorded values are required.
Reports & Export
Prepare test outputs for PDF, LaTeX, Microsoft Word and additional data or report formats without rebuilding the results manually after every experiment.
Safety, Privacy & Respect
Control, measurement and experiment data are handled locally in the browser and on the connected device. External cloud services are not required for the core testing workflow.
Mechanical Tests & Loading Protocols
Thymos supports common small-scale mechanical tests and longer loading sequences, with adaptable fixtures and control parameters for different specimens and test methods.
Compression
Concrete · Springs · Foams
Compression of conventional, springs, cellular structures and other components, with configurable travel, force limits and hold steps.
View animation
Tension
Silicons · Lattices · Textiles
Tensile loading of compliant materials, fibers and small coupons using grips adapted to the specimen geometry.
View animation
Bending
Plastics · Alloys · Timber
Three-point or four-point bending and custom fixtures for measuring load, displacement and stiffness of tough specimens.
View animation
Cyclic & Fatigue
Components · Composites
Repeated loading between defined positions or force levels for cyclic response, durability studies and proof-of-concept fatigue experiments.
Other supported or configurable protocols
- Creep
- Stress relaxation
- Hold steps
- Force-limited loading
- Displacement-limited loading
- Hardness / indentation setups
- Custom motion sequences
Measurement, Sensors & Coordinated Control
Combine force and position measurement with additional sensors, programmable feedback and coordinated Thymos units for a wide range of experimental and measurement tasks.
Measurement & Integration
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Live Measurements
Monitor position, force and connected sensor channels while a test is running, with adjustable high-rate data acquisition tailored to the test type and duration for dynamic events and detailed analysis.
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Additional Sensors
Extend force measurement with temperature, CO₂ levels, laser distance, digital calipers, scales and other compatible sensors required by the experiment.
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Configurable Measurement Range
Select the loadcell and configuration for the expected force range to get higher precision while keeping the same measurement and software workflow.
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Programmable Limits & Feedback
Use measured position and force as limits or inputs to automated test steps instead of relying only on a fixed time sequence.
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Distributed & Coordinated Devices
Operate several connected or independent Thymos units within one experiment and coordinate their motion when the specimen or setup requires synchronized loading.
Measurement range, resolution and accuracy depend on the selected sensor, fixture and mechanical setup. The instrumentation should therefore be matched to the expected test range rather than treated as one fixed machine specification.
Camera-Based Measurement with DIC
Digital Image Correlation (DIC) adds contactless displacement and deformation measurements to force, position and timing data during testing.
Visual displacement can also control loading routines, allowing tests to respond to specimen behavior rather than relying solely on actuator travel or predefined timing.
- Live contactless displacement tracking with optional high-precision image-based post-processing.
- Full-field 2D deformation and strain visualization (planned 3D support).
- Camera data recorded alongside force, position and test timing.
- Support of DSLR cameras, webcams and others.
- Visual measurements for monitoring, limits, and automated test steps.
Development Generations
A selection of Thymos prototypes and machine generations showing how the frame, fixtures, electronics and user interface have evolved during development.
Version 01
Early horizontal experimental setup with printed fixtures and a cellular specimen.
See moreVersion 02
Early workshop prototype centered on a compact, lightweight frame and simplified mechanical layout.
See moreVersion 03
Larger working area, simplified construction, and an improved horizontal setup with adjustable working height.
See moreVersion 04
Transition to a more powerful vertical testing frame and clearer machine layout.
See moreVersion 05
Vertical development version with more integrated electronics, cabling and local control.
See moreVersion 06
Later refined configuration with a cleaner frame and external display for control and monitoring.
See moreVideo overview
Thymos in Practice
A short video overview of the machine in vertical and horizontal configurations, example mechanical tests and the Moira user interface for control and measurement.