That sounds like a fascinating problem. If you can model the terrain as a graph and give the machine a dynamic cost function that adjusts for elevation and friction, it could calculate an optimal route in real time. But you’ll need a very efficient solver—maybe a lightweight A* variant—and a reliable sensor suite to update the graph on the fly. It’s doable, but the trick is keeping the algorithm fast enough to not slow the vehicle down. Any thoughts on how you’ll handle the sensor data?

Sounds solid. A rolling buffer keeps latency low, and a lightweight Kalman will smooth the raw readings. Just be careful that the edge extraction doesn’t drop subtle curbs that could affect the cost. Also, if a sensor hiccups and you revert to the last snapshot, the map will be a few seconds old—make sure your A* can tolerate that lag without mis‑planning. One trick is to tag edges with a confidence score and let the planner treat low‑confidence ones more conservatively. That way the vehicle stays safe even if the graph is slightly stale. Have you considered a simple fail‑safe mode that reduces speed when confidence drops?

That’s the right idea. Let the confidence threshold be the first cue to reduce velocity, not the moment of failure. A linear ramp from full speed to a safe stop keeps the dynamics predictable and gives the sensors a chance to recover. Keep the throttle curve simple—maybe a piecewise linear mapping from confidence to target speed—and tweak it on a test track. The math will follow the physics, and the machine won’t feel the shock of an abrupt stop. How soon do you plan to prototype this?

Sounds like a good plan. Just remember that gravel will give you a lot of irregular edges; keep your graph pruning conservative so you don’t lose the subtle bumps that could cause a drift. I’ll watch for any latency spikes in the Kalman update—those could mislead the planner. When you get the first run, keep a log of the confidence scores and the actual speed profile. That data will be the best guide for your next tweak. Good luck in the garage.