With technological advances, it becomes feasible to perform more advanced experiments. Developing new techniques, or using old techniques in new ways allow  insights into material behavior that was not possible before.

One example, from the AML, is the use of photogrammetry to measure the deformation of compliant membranes. Photogrammetry is the science of making three-dimensional measurements of real-world objects from photographs of the object. This technique was originally used in terrain mapping, where airplanes would fly over a section of land (like a battlefield during war) and through image analysis the terrain topography could be deterimned. Using these photogrammetric techniques is much more appealing with the use of digital cameras and the fast processing capabilities of today's computers. Therefore, the shape of the membrane can be determined by just using a number of pictures of the membrane. As the membrane shape changes, new pictures can be used to find the current shape of the membrane. By comparing the shape of the membrane at different times, the deformation (how much it stretched in what direction) of the membrane can be determined.