[en] Due to their high complexity, compliant mechanisms require high-fidelity mechanical models to reach a detailed understanding of their characteristics and predict their actual behaviour in various situations. This work focuses on tape springs which are used as an alternative to common mechanisms composed of kinematic joints. They present several assets such as, among others, passive deployment and self-locking, but they are characterised by a highly nonlinear behaviour including buckling, the formation of folds and hysteresis. An experimental set-up is then designed to gather information on these phenomena, while in parallel an equivalent
finite element model is developed. Quasi-static and dynamic tests are performed, as well as small amplitude vibration tests and large amplitude deployments in order to collect data in a broad variety of cases. The post-processing of the numerous raw data shows, with the help of statistical considerations, the good quality of the acquisitions. Finally, the finite element model proves to be fairly well correlated to the experimental results.