Specifications include, but are not limited to: 1. The force measuring device must be capable of controlling the separation distance between two macroscopic cylindrical surfaces to within 2–3 Angstroms, where the radius of curvature of the surfaces can range from 1–10 cm. 2. The force measuring device must be capable of moving two macroscopic cylindrical surfaces over millimeter distances to enable proper alignment prior to fine measurements. 3. The force measuring device must be capable of moving two macroscopic cylindrical surfaces over distances of 1–10 μm with between 1–30 nm precision. 4. The force measuring device must be capable of providing radius-normalized force sensitivity of between 0.01–0.1 mN/m at the lower end.