Italy's Meccanotecnica Riesi (MR) was approached by the Robotic Mobility Group Laboratory of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the production of a wheel prototype which it manufacturers that would help MIT, in conjunction with NASA-JPL, to better understand the underlying mechanics of wheel-terrain interaction. MIT’s Robotic Mobility Group required precise machining because, “a vehicle’s ability to navigate soft soil has strong implications for both its power efficiency and mobility.” MR collaborated with MIT to design and manufacture a fully instrumental wheel. Using its