This sailor is wearing the remote for NKE's innovative Gyropilot and Wireless system on a lanyard around his neck. When integrated with an on-board GPS, it doubles as a crew overboard response system with head-to-wind steering and EPIRB activation capabilities.

Visit any big hardware retailer, and it’s instantly obvious that small cordless power tools are fast supplanting their conventional counterparts. No question, folks truly dislike having to deal with wall sockets and extension cords—enough that many are willing to pay extra for cordless tools which, in most cases, are bulkier, heavier, and less powerful than the plug-in alternatives.

Given that cordless tools have become so popular despite their obvious drawbacks, how good are the prospects for a class of wireless devices that potentially offer nothing but benefits? Marine electronics offer many outstanding opportunities for wireless applications, and indeed, we are starting to see quite a few such products.…