More than a century ago, it was proposed that mechanical forces could drive tissue formation. However, only recently with the advent of enabling biophysical and molecular technologies are we beginning to understand how individual cells transduce mechanical force into biochemical signals. In turn, this knowledge of mechanotransduction at the cellular level is beginning to clarify the role of mechanics in patterning processes during embryonic development. In this perspective, we will discuss current mechanotransduction paradigms, along with the technologies that have shaped the field of mechanobiology.