Our friends at DIY Drones have released the first public beta version of ArduPilot 2.0. If you're not familiar with ArduPilot, it's a free software / free hardware AUV platform (or Open Source software / Open Source hardware if you prefer) that includes AUV software, sensor stabilization, and GPS navigation. If you don't want to build the controller board yourself, you can buy a preassembled board from Sparkfun. All the software is licensed under the GPL-compatible Apache 2.0 license. ArduPilot 1 included programmable 3D waypoints, in-flight reset, and programmable actions. Version 2 includes a Fly-by-wire mode that stabilizes the aircraft in RC mode, EEPROM storage of waypoint and sensor calibration info, improved performance in wind, support for thermopile XY sensors, and chained PID loops to combined stabilization and navigation functions. With all this available, you have no excuse for not getting started on the flying robot you've always wanted to build.