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Did you know that today’s tires and wheels are evolved from the carriage wheels of the horse-and-buggy era? Of course, in those days, the power source also provided the tractive force needed to set and keep the vehicle in motion. After all, horses, mules, and oxen provided their own traction.

The tires were irrelevant, as wheels-only made dragging the load easier for the animals. This changed when Karl Benz introduced his vehicle in 1886, and tires became responsible for managing traction, as well as steering and braking. Metal hoops wrapped around wooden wheels were hopelessly inadequate for these tasks.

Benz fitted solid-rubber tires to the wheels on his cars. From there, John Dunlop developed the forerunner to today’s tire with internal support provided by an air-filled rubber tube. Patented in 1888, these were softer and more compliant than solid rubber, so they improved traction and ride quality significantly. They also introduced flat tires, a concern motorists deal with to this day.

Fortunately, tire technology has improved such that the contemporary driver needn’t be overly concerned about them, particularly if they’re careful to avoid running over debris on roadways.

However, the ascendance of autonomous vehicles introduces a new consideration. While these automobiles are being developed to follow roadways and avoid hitting pedestrians and other cars, they can’t be counted on to stop and fix a puncture. Yes, we’ve had run-flat tires since the mid-1980s, however that’s just a temporary solution. These, too, must be repaired at some point.

To counter this, Michelin and General Motors have teamed up to “reinvent the wheel,” so to speak, with the introduction of the Michelin Uptis Prototype. An acronym for Unique…