  Recent developments in topological mechanics have demonstrated the ability of
Maxwell lattices to effectively focus stress along domain walls between
differently polarized domains. The focusing ability can be exploited to protect
the lattice bulk from accidental stress concentration -- and eventually onset
and propagation of fracture -- at structural hot spots such as defects and
cracks. A recent study has revisited the problem for structural lattices
featuring non-ideal hinges, showing that the focusing remains robust, albeit
diluted in strength. Realizing that the problem of domain wall localization has
been traditionally framed in the context of linear elasticity, in this work we
extend the study to the realm of soft structures undergoing nonlinear finite
deformation. Through experiments performed on silicone hyperelastic prototypes,
we assess and quantify the robustness of the phenomenon against the macroscopic
shape changes induced by large deformation, with special attention to
deformation levels that alter the topology of the bulk, lifting the topological
protection. Furthermore, we identify a simple geometric indicator for this
transition.
