The APM2 board is equipped with the system on a chip, (a serial interface for flash memory), a digital compass, a motion-tracking system, a barometric pressure sensor, and more. , the APM2 can be used "to turn any fixed, rotary wing or multirotor vehicle (even cars and boats) into a fully autonomous vehicle; capable of performing programmed GPS missions with waypoints."

This board is also compatible with the , and we all know how much everyone loves Arduino! The APM2 will set you back $199.95, which is certainly not bad at all since other systems like the --which includes only the GPS module--will set you back $117. For only $82.95 more you get a whole lot more capability. And many higher end autopilot systems will set you back thousands of dollars, so this looks like it's great for hobbyists.

Now the best part: You can use it with free open-source firmware . Want to automate a model plane? Use . For a rotary-wing aircraft (toy copters, etc...), use the , and for a ground or water vehicle, use . Not bad, eh?

A word of warning: Don't just go and pick one of these up . This is for the true DIYer, so you'll definitely need some understanding of microcontrollers, programming, and whatever it is that you're trying to automate. But once you get there you'll be able to add autopilot to things like which utilized the APM2--that the 3D Robotics group had on display at Maker Faire.

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