It's a game a lot of us played as children -- and maybe even later in life: unspooling measuring tape to see how far it would extend before bending. But to engineer, this game was an inspiration, ...

Steel measuring tape is an interesting material, in that it's rigid enough to hold its shape when extended, but flexible enough that it gives way under pressure. Scientists have taken advantage of ...

Inspired by a childhood game of unspooling measuring tape, engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed ...

That’s because the tape is both robust and flexible; can be stored in a small container when retracted; and can reach far ...