MIT researchers have spent more than a decade studying techniques that enable robots to find and manipulate hidden objects by “seeing” through obstacles. Their methods utilize surface-penetrating wireless signals that reflect off concealed items.

Now, the researchers are leveraging generative artificial intelligence models to overcome a longstanding bottleneck that limited the precision of prior approaches. The result is a new method that produces more accurate shape reconstructions, which could improve a robot’s ability to reliably grasp and manipulate objects that are blocked from view.

This new technique builds a partial reconstruction of a hidden object from reflected wireless signals and fills in the missing parts of its shape using a specially trained generative AI model.

The researchers also introduced an expanded system that uses generative AI to accurately reconstruct an entire room, including all the furniture. The system utilizes wireless signals sent from one stationary radar, which reflect off humans moving in the space.  

This overcomes one key challenge of many existing methods, which require a wireless sensor to be mounted on a mobile robot to scan the environment. And unlike some popular camera-based techniques, their method preserves the privacy of people in the environment.

These innovations could enable warehouse robots to verify packed items before shipping, eliminating waste from product returns. They could also allow smart home robots to understand someone’s location in a room, improving the safety and efficiency of human-robot interaction.

“What we’ve done now is develop generative AI models that help us understand wireless reflections. This opens up a lot of interesting new applications, but technically it is also a qualitative leap in capabilities, from being able to fill in gaps we were not able to see before to being able to interpret reflections and reconstruct entire scenes,” says Fadel Adib, associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, director of the Signal Kinetics group in the MIT Media Lab, and senior author of two papers on these techniques. “We are using AI to finally unlock wireless vision.”

Adib is joined on the first paper by lead author and research assistant Laura Dodds; as well as research assistants Maisy Lam, Waleed Akbar, and Yibo Cheng; and on the second paper by lead author and former postdoc Kaichen Zhou; Dodds; and research assistant Sayed Saad Afzal. Both papers will be presented at the IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition.

Surmounting specularity

The Adib Group previously demonstrated the use of millimeter wave (mmWave) signals to create accurate reconstructions of 3D objects that are hidden from view, like a lost wallet buried under a pile.

These waves, which are the same type of signals used in Wi-Fi, can pass through common obstructions like drywall, plastic, and cardboard, and reflect off hidden objects.

But mmWaves usually reflect in a specular manner, which means a wave reflects in a single direction after striking a surface. So large portions of the surface will reflect signals away from the mmWave sensor, making those areas effectively invisible.

“When we want to reconstruct an object, we are only able to see the top surface and we can’t see any of the bottom or sides,” Dodds explains.

The researchers previously used principles from physics to interpret reflected signals, but this limits the accuracy of the reconstructed 3D shape.

In the new papers, they overcame that limitation by using a generative AI model to fill in parts that are missing from a partial reconstruction.

“But the challenge then becomes: How do you train these models to fill in these gaps?” Adib says.

Usually, researchers use extremely large datasets to train a generative AI model, which is one reason models like Claude and Llama exhibit such impressive performance. But no mmWave datasets are large enough for training.

Instead, the researchers adapted the images in large computer vision datasets to mimic the properties in mmWave reflections.

“We were simulating the property of specularity and the noise we get from these reflections so we can apply existing datasets to our domain. It would have taken years for us to collect enough new data to do this,” Lam says.

The researchers embed the physics of mmWave reflections directly into these adapted data, creating a synthetic dataset they use to teach a generative AI model to perform plausible shape reconstructions.

The complete system, called Wave-Former, proposes a set of potential object surfaces based on mmWave reflections, feeds them to the generative AI model to complete the shape, and then refines the surfaces until it achieves a full reconstruction.

Wave-Former was able to generate faithful reconstructions of about 70 everyday objects, such as cans, boxes, utensils, and fruit, boosting accuracy by nearly 20 percent over state-of-the-art baselines. The objects were hidden behind or under cardboard, wood, drywall, plastic, and fabric.

Seeing “ghosts”

The team used this same approach to build an expanded system that fully reconstructs entire indoor scenes by leveraging mmWave reflections off humans moving in a room.

Human motion generates multipath reflections. Some mmWaves reflect off the human, then reflect again off a wall or object, and then arrive back at the sensor, Dodds explains.

These secondary reflections create so-called “ghost signals,” which are reflected copies of the original signal that change location as a human moves. These ghost signals are usually discarded as noise, but they also hold information about the layout of the room.

“By analyzing how these reflections change over time, we can start to get a coarse understanding of the environment around us. But trying to directly interpret these signals is going to be limited in accuracy and resolution.” Dodds says.

They used a similar training method to teach a generative AI model to interpret those coarse scene reconstructions and understand the behavior of multipath mmWave reflections. This model fills in the gaps, refining the initial reconstruction until it completes the scene.

They tested their scene reconstruction system, called RISE, using more than 100 human trajectories captured by a single mmWave radar. On average, RISE generated reconstructions that were about twice as precise than existing techniques.

In the future, the researchers want to improve the granularity and detail in their reconstructions. They also want to build large foundation models for wireless signals, like the foundation models GPT, Claude, and Gemini for language and vision, which could open new applications.

This work is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the MIT Media Lab, and Amazon.

REI’s Member Days sale starts today and runs through March 23, 2026. As the name implies, the bulk of the deals are exclusively for REI members. Members get 20 percent off one full-price item with the coupon code MEMBER26. Members also get 20 percent off one used Re/Supply item, and 40 percent off all REI Co-Op Campwell and Wonderland tents. If you’re not yet an REI member, you can join today.

We’ve combed through the member deals, as well as some more limited outlet deals to find the best price on all our favorite tents, backpacks, outdoor apparel, and more.

Updated Wednesday, March 2026: We’ve added a few more deals, including a great sale on REI’s Flash 22 daypack, a Sea to Summit sleeping pad, a Mystery Ranch backpack, and an Exped sleeping pad.

WIRED Featured Deals

What You Should Get With Your Member Coupon

During the REI Member Days sale REI Members get 20 percent off one full-price item with the coupon code MEMBER26. Here are a few pieces of outdoor gear we love that are good candidate for buying with your member coupon. Not an REI member? You can sign up today and get access to the coupon.

Upgrade Your Sleeping Experience

Therm-a-Rest

NeoLoft Sleeping Pad

I just got back from a three-day trip using this pad for the first time in a few months. What a revelation it is, every time I sleep on this thing. I’d been testing other pads most of the winter. While some are very good, nothing compares to the Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft for comfort. This pad reinvigorated my love of backpacking by ensuring that I get a great night’s sleep in the backcountry. It’s cushy and comfortable, like a plush car-camping pad, with excellent pressure relief (pro tip: for max comfort, don’t over inflate it). The R-4.8 insulation keeps you warm down to about freezing, though I’ve used it in colder conditions by pairing it with a closed cell foam pad. I also love that it packs up quite small considering how massive it is when inflated.

Lighten Your Load With an Ultralight Tent

Big Agnes

Copper Spur HV UL Tent

The Big Agnes Copper Spur tents are high quality, lightweight, and well designed. At 2 pounds 10 ounces for the two-person model, this is one of the lightest freestanding tents on the market. It’s easy to set up, and stable even in strong winds. The Copper Spur is also very livable, with steep sidewalls to maximize interior space. Mesh pockets help with gear storage and give you a place to stick your headlamp for dispersed light. The ingenious “awning” design makes getting in and out a snap (provided you have trekking poles to set it up). All seams are taped with waterproof, solvent-free polyurethane tape. They’re also durable despite their lightweight fabrics, standing up to years of abuse on the trail. I do recommend grabbing the footprint ($80), though, to help protect the floor. It also allows you to pitch the fly only, which is nice shelter on sunny days at the beach.

Grab REI’s Best Lightweight Backpack

Photography: Scott Gilbertson

REI Co-op

Flash Air 50 Backpack

I tested this pack quite a bit last summer as part of an upcoming ultralight backpack guide. It’s very comfortable, carrying a 25-pound load without issue. It’s not the lightest pack I’ve tried (it’s 1 pound, 14 ounces for a medium), but like most REI-brand gear, it strikes a great balance between features and price. It’s made of UHMWPE ripstop nylon, with shaped steel piping for the frame, making it studier than a frameless pack. I love the precurved back panel and hip belt, which were much more comfortable than most ultralight framed packs in this class. It’s got nice load lifters as well, and the minimalist design works well to keep weight down. My only real gripe is that the exterior pocket isn’t very big.

Get the Best Camp Stove

Coleman

Cascade 3-in-1 Stove

Any flame will work, but Coleman’s Cascade 3-in-1 stove really elevates your outdoor cooking experience. I lived full time in an RV for over seven years and cooked on this stove almost every day. It’s all about the cast iron grates. They’re sturdier than the usual metal and don’t warp over time. Apply a light coat of oil to them periodically and they’ll develop a protective seasoning just like a cast iron pan. The flat top is also handy for cranking out camp pancakes for a hungry family. The coupon brings the price here down to $200.

Deals on Camping and Backpacking Gear

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

Nemo Equipment’s Mayfly Osmo tent is the two-person tent I reach for the most. It’s solidly built, cleverly designed, and has proved durable, and most importantly, dry, in my years of testing. I tested the Mayfly two-person model, which has a trail weight of 3 pounds 8 ounces. A little heavier than our top pick for ultralight hiking (the Copper Spur suggested above) but still pretty light when split between two people. It’s a semi-freestanding design, which means there are fewer poles, but you have to stake out the foot-end of the tent. Two sewn-in ridged stays help ensure there’s plenty of room by your feet, but the Mayfly is on the tight side. Two sleeping pads fit, and hikers under 6′ 4″ will be fine, but if you’re not close with your hiking partner, the three-person model for $375 ($125 off) will be a better option.

The Dragonfly Osmo is a slightly lighter tent than the Mayfly above, aimed at ultralight backpackers who want a freestanding tent. I’ve tested and liked the one-person version, which is spacious, lightweight, and sturdy. The Osmo fabric is Nemo’s proprietary blend of nylon and polyester, which in my experience sheds rain better than most nylon rainflies. The Dragonfly Osmo 3-person version is also on sale for $435 ($145 off), and the bike-packing friendly two-person version, with poles that fit between your handlebars, is on sale for $376 ($204 off)

This is the best value of the REI Member’s Day sale. The Wonderland 6 replaces my beloved Kingdom 6, as REI spacious, hoop-design family car camping tent. While I prefer the square design of the Base Camp 6, the Wonderland 6 is undeniably roomier, better ventilated, and overall a better choice for most families. The biggest thing I miss about the Wonderland is the interior divider wall, which makes it easy to have a sleeping area and separate area for hanging out. The Wonderland 4 is also on sale for $257 ($172 off), but I highly recommend the two-person version as it’s nearly the same price and gives you considerably more living space.

Photograph: Thermarest

The Z-Lite Sol weighs next to nothing (10 ounces for the small), folds up small enough to lash to the outside of any pack, and can double as a chair, extra padding on cold nights, table, you name it. I am too old and too soft to be the sort of ultra-minimalist who gets by with just a Z-Lite for sleeping, but I still have one around on almost every backpacking trip I take.

The self-inflating Comfort Plus inhabits an interesting borderland between car camping pad and backpacking sleeping pad. At 3 pounds it’s definitely not light, but if you don’t mind the weight it’s a comfortable option. The open-cell interior offers a nicely cushy sleeping experience with enough padding to help even side sleepers avoid bottoming out.

Formerly our top pick for backpacking sleeping pads, the Exped Ultra 7R is still a great winter sleeping pad, especially at this price. The Ultra has down insulation inside it to achieve the high R-rating. At under 2 pounds for the wide version, it’s not that heavy for a four season pad, but it is quite bulky, taking up considerable pack space due to the down. I have used this pad down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit and was very comfortable (in a 10-degree bag). Exped rates it to –20 degrees F.

Photograph: REI

Sea to Summit’s Ether Light XT is a 4-inch thick ultralight sleeping pad—the ever-popular Therm-a-Rest X-Lite is only 3—making it the best ultralight option for side sleepers. I also like the baffle design better than the Therm-a-Rest, and it seems to be a little more durable in my testing. Note that the XT has been replaced by a newer model, but this one is still great.

Nemo’s Forte 35 is our favorite synthetic sleeping bag. It’s rated to 35 degrees (comfort rated), making it a good choice for summer. What I like most about this bag, and nearly all of Nemo’s sleeping bags, is the wider cut through the torso area down to the knees. This bag is almost a hybrid of a mummy bag and your father’s good old 1970s square sleeping bag. Which is to say, this bag is roomy.

Photograph: Adrienne So

The Arc’teryx Beta SL rain jacket is our favorite rain jacket. This is Arc’teryx’s lightest rain shell, but it’s also one of the few jackets that has never failed to keep me dry. It has Gore-Tex’s latest fabric innovation, called ePE (expanded polyethylene)—it’s a breathable, waterproof membrane laminated to a nylon face (PFC-free). It has a hydrostatic head (HH) rating of 28,000, which is far better than the usual rating of 10,000 that you find in most jackets. This deals takes a little of the sting out of the one thing I don’t like about this jacket—the price.

Patagonia’s classic rain jacket, now with a a PFC-free DWR finish. I like the roomier fit of the Arc’teryx Beta SL above, but this jacket is 95 percent as good and less than half the price of the Beta. It’s got a two-way adjustable hood, and cuffs have velcro to give a nice, tight seal against the rain. The only real complaint I have with this jacket is that’s it’s on the noisier side, but at this price, I can deal with a little extra nylon crinkling.

There’s only a couple colors available at this price, but this is a great deal on one of the most packable synthetic puffer jackets we’ve tested. If you’re avoiding down, but want a light puffer for three-season backpacking, or just around town wear, this the jacket to get.

Photograph: REI

Another deal with limited color selection, but this is too good of a price to ignore. The 650 Down Jacket is one of the best budget three-season puffers you can buy, more so at this price. At 10.9 ounces, it’s reasonably lightweight and has large hand pockets and some very nice internal pockets for stashing a hat or gloves. The kids’ version is also on sale in a nice yellow color that’s handy for spotting your child in the snow.

Patagonia’s Down Sweater is a much-loved, classic puffer jacket. It uses 800-fill-power down and borders on overstuffed, making for a beefier coat than many others I’ve tried. It has plenty of loft nonetheless, and the recycled nylon ripstop fabric still looks like it does the day I took it home (that fabric is now made from recycled fishing nets).

Nemo’s Resolve is a great pack that incorporates a low-waste footprint into the design. It uses solution-dyed fabrics and eschews straps and buckles in favor of bungees and pull-tabs. This does make adjusting it fussier, but once you’re used to it and have the fit dialed in, it’s not an issue. The Resolve is a comfortable pack. While technically frameless, it feels like it has some structure. and it sits nice and high on your back. At 1 pound 15 ounces, it’s also pretty light.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

The Flash 22 is possibly the best-value day pack on the market, especially on sale. I was surprised by how comfortable this thing is, despite the lightweight straps and minimal padding. It carries loads up to 15 pounds without straining the shoulders, and the side stash pockets are fabulously large—big enough for a Nalgene bottle or rain jacket. The Flash 22 is made of 70-denier recycled ripstop nylon, which is on the lighter side, but mine has held up well, even coming through some rough canyon hikes in Utah without any more than mud stains. Note that this deal is only on the print versions.

This is Mystery Ranch’s stab at an ultralight pack. It’s still 3 pounds, 13 ounces, but the full suspension system can handle loads far beyond what most ultralight packs (even those with frames) can handle. This is one of the most comfortable packs I’ve tested and my top pick for any load over 25 pounds, but unfortunately, Mystery Ranch has discontinued it, so this might be your last chance to snag one.

If you want to bring a chair backpacking, this is the one to get. It’s just about the lightest on the market at 18 ounces, and it packs down nice and small. Nemo also solved the main problem with all pole chairs: The included base pad keeps it from sinking in soft ground.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

As with most Yeti sales, this one applies only to a single color, in this case the insanely bright Firefly Yellow. I can almost guarantee you will never lose it if you get that color. Yeti’s Hopper cooler is my go-to cooler for an afternoon at the beach. It’s just large enough for ice, drinks, and snacks for my family of five.

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Yesterday’s discount on the Sonos Ace over-ear headphones wasn’t the only sale you can find on new additions to your Sonos setup. You can also nab the Sonos Roam 2 for just $139 as part of the Amazon Spring Sale. This Bluetooth speaker has excellent sound despite its relatively compact size, and of course it plays nicely with your other Sonos speakers.

Unlike older Sonos products, the Roam 2 now has Bluetooth in addition to Wi-Fi. When you’re home, the speaker joins your network and acts just like any other Sonos speaker in your setup. Take it on the go, and you can easily connect your phone and keep the tunes rolling. The Sonos app isn’t always the best at finding new speakers, but in this case it fired right up and connected to the Roam 2, good news for the easily frustrated. It has a fun sound profile that’s great for picnics or backyard hangs, with solid bass and balanced mid and upper ranges. Some other Bluetooth speakers might get louder, but the Roam 2 makes up for it by joining a chorus of other speakers around your home.

While the first-generation Roam suffered from some long-term battery health issues, Sonos has assured us that the Roam 2 more than fixes the problem, and at least in the short time our reviewer Parker Hall spent with it, it wasn’t an issue anymore. The outside is also slightly prone to smudges and scuffs, something to keep in mind if you prefer your equipment looking pristine. It’s waterproof, though, and quite sturdy, so just know that any marks you see on the housing are just surface level.

I spotted the discount in both black and white, but they’re both marked as “Limited Time Deals” so you’ll want to move fast if you’re interested. For anyone wondering what else is out there, or for non-Sonos users, make sure to check out our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers, or swing by our roundup of the best deals on hand-tested and approved products in the Amazon Spring Sale to see what else sparks your fancy.