Human beings have the dubious distinction of knowing when they’re hurt. Endowed with an intricate and wondrous nervous system, we are capable of registering sensations on the wide spectrum between ecstasy and misery. Coupled with that, we have the instinct and ability to fix ourselves when we sense something’s amiss. Ironically, many of the things we trust to keep us safe — bridges and airplanes, for instance — are as dumb as doorknobs. A bridge truss doesn’t know when it’s about to fail, just as a plane’s wing can’t predict its own catastrophic demise.

MicroStrain®, a rapidly growing company located in a nondescript office park in Williston, is, in a manner of speaking, making doorknobs wise. Founded 21 years ago by Burlington native Steve Arms, the company designs high-tech strain gauges that measure the stress loads on all kinds of objects, from knee joints and helicopters to bridges and Caterpillar Earthmovers...

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