Based on present research status of grinding with surface structured wheels, different methods of structuring wheel surface, including wheels with defined grain pattern, precise controlling grain geometries, innovative grinding wheel structure design and structuring conventional grinding wheels through particular mechanical or laser dressing method are introduced, and the machining mechanism and the influence of grinding with surface structured wheels on the quality of machined surface are analyzed. The mechanism of machining regular texture surface by surface structured wheels is stated, simultaneously the different methods of obtaining regular texture surface are presented. Moreover, the application prospect in the field of special material machining by surface structured wheel is discussed, the development directions of grinding wheel surface structured technology are further forecasted.