This week’s SmartCar roundup features Apple’s new M7 chip, Nissan’s Safety Shield system, and a smart car that does away with doors, windows, and a roof in favor of a skateboard.

The M7 chip

The new iPhone 5s comes with a coprocessor dubbed the M7.  It manages the device’s motion sensors, making the iPhone 5s probably the best device for fitness and health enthusiasts who do not want to purchase additional trackers.  But according to sources, the M7 may not only play a huge role as a fitness tracker, but also in improving Apple’s Maps app and helping people find their cars.

“Sources say that Apple is testing a tool for its Maps app that, with the M7 chip, could analyze when your car is parked. When you park your car, the iPhone will register the car’s location. Now when you return to the parking lot, your iPhone will be able to help you assist with finding your car since it knows the vehicle’s location,” a report from 9to5Mac stated.

Nissan’s Safety Shield

Safety Shield is Nissan’s  advanced, proactive approach to safety issues based on the idea that cars should help protect people. It provides provides various measures to help the driver and passengers better avoid dangers in ways that are optimized to each of a wide range of circumstances that the vehicle may be in, from “risk has not yet appeared” to “post-crash.”

This is one of the solutions Nissan is bringing to its vehicles to deliver fully automated cars by 2020, five years ahead of the competition.

Nissan recently demonstrated the features of the new version of Safety Shield in its Leaf EV by adding 360º sensors, laser scanners and cameras.  The vehicle can automatically recognize if a lane is closed and steer clear.  It can also change lanes on its own, merge when needed, do away with blind spots, apply brakes when needed and detect danger.  Unfortunately, there’s no telling when this new version of Safety Shield will be used in vehicles, as the first version will just be debuting in Nissan vehicles later this year.

smart fourjoy

At the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, a new concept for a compact smart car is on display.  Dubbed the smart fourjoy, the compact vehicle has no doors, no roof, and looks a lot like a space pod, with is partial chrome exterior and lounge chair-like seats.

The car may be one of the weirdest vehicles you’ll ever see, especially when you take notice of the skateboard on the roof.  But those odd design points are likely to evolve as the car goes in production.  The purpose of this concept car is just like any normal-sized sedan, there is room for design variations.  Right now, the smart fourjoy is an electric powered vehicle but it could be offered in a gas, diesel, or hybrid variety.

Though the car looks weird, it may appeal to people or families that are more of the outdoor type who won’t mind the wind in their face, and could still travel comfortably in a tight space.

“The smart fourjoy is the perfect icon of our smart design philosophy that is being carried into a new era. For the first time we are showing the future sporty four-seater character of the new smart family,” says Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Daimler AG. “The typical smart silhouette, the clear lines and styling and also the further development of the smart face make this study a modern design icon.”