Unique Side Mirrors
Of all the things on a car that Apple could improve, the side mirror may be not the first thing you think of. But another recent vehicular patent details several ways that the Apple Car could innovate in that area.
Essentially, the patent describes several methods to improve or completely replace side mirrors — which could reduce vehicle width, among other factors. One way is to embed the mirror into the side of the vehicle, using optical elements to provide the driver with a view of the outside without needing an actual side mirror sticking out of the car.
Another way would be to adjust the position of the mirror by using a camera to detect when a driver is looking at it. When the driver isn’t, the mirrors would be out of view. The last implementation could see the side mirrors nixed completely in favor of cameras and monitors that would provide a live-feed to the user.