diff --git a/harness/ruview/mod/hooks/register.mjs b/harness/ruview/mod/hooks/register.mjs
index 1e3070463..4c42ca945 100644
--- a/harness/ruview/mod/hooks/register.mjs
+++ b/harness/ruview/mod/hooks/register.mjs
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 export const PANE_ID = 'ruview-live';
 export const COMMAND = 'ruview';
 const HOST_RE = /^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9.-]{0,252}$/;
+const HISTORY = 24;
+const TICK_MS = 5000;
 
 /**
  * The harness CLI beside this mod: the plugin root is <pkg>/mod, so the CLI is
@@ -56,15 +58,48 @@ export function resultOf(run) {
 
 const fixed = (v, d = 1) => (typeof v === 'number' && Number.isFinite(v) ? v.toFixed(d) : '—');
 const pct = (v) => (typeof v === 'number' ? `${(v * 100).toFixed(1)}%` : '—');
+const num = (v) => (typeof v === 'number' && Number.isFinite(v) ? v : null);
+
+/** Resting ranges outside which a device-reported vital is flagged, not trusted. */
+export const RANGES = Object.freeze({ heart: [40, 180], breathing: [4, 40] });
+
+/** Why a device-reported vital looks implausible, or null. */
+export function plausibilityOf(kind, value) {
+  if (value == null || !RANGES[kind]) return null;
+  const [lo, hi] = RANGES[kind];
+  return value < lo || value > hi ? `outside ${lo}–${hi} bpm` : null;
+}
+
+const SPARK = '▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█';
+/** Unicode sparkline of the last `width` finite values ('' below two points). */
+export function sparkline(values, width = 16) {
+  const v = (values || []).filter((x) => typeof x === 'number' && Number.isFinite(x)).slice(-width);
+  if (v.length < 2) return '';
+  const lo = Math.min(...v);
+  const hi = Math.max(...v);
+  return v.map((x) => SPARK[hi === lo ? 3 : Math.round(((x - lo) / (hi - lo)) * 7)]).join('');
+}
+
+/** "12s ago" / "3m ago" from a millisecond age, or '' when unknown. */
+export function ageOf(ms) {
+  if (!Number.isFinite(ms) || ms < 0) return '';
+  const s = Math.round(ms / 1000);
+  return s < 60 ? `${s}s ago` : `${Math.round(s / 60)}m ago`;
+}
 
 /** The pane's model: plain data, drawn by viewOf and summarised by statusOf. */
 export function modelOf(capture, radar, at) {
   const alerts = [];
-  if (capture && capture.ok === false) alerts.push({ level: capture.reason === 'no_packets' ? 'warn' : 'bad', text: `nodes: ${String(capture.reason).replace(/_/g, ' ')}${capture.remedy ? ` — ${capture.remedy}` : ''}` });
+  // "No packets" is shown inside the nodes card; only real faults become alerts.
+  if (capture && capture.ok === false && capture.reason !== 'no_packets') {
+    alerts.push({ level: 'bad', text: `nodes: ${String(capture.reason).replace(/_/g, ' ')}${capture.remedy ? ` — ${capture.remedy}` : ''}` });
+  }
   for (const hb of capture?.heartbeatOnlySenders || []) alerts.push({ level: 'warn', text: `${hb.address} sends heartbeats but no CSI (run \`ruview monitor --baud 1500000\` on it: "lack of csi buf" = buffer starvation)` });
   if (radar && radar.ok === false) alerts.push({ level: 'bad', text: `radar: ${String(radar.reason).replace(/_/g, ' ')}${radar.detail ? ` — ${radar.detail}` : ''}` });
   const nodes = (capture?.nodes || []).map((n) => ({
+    key: `${n.source}:${n.nodeId}`,
     label: `${n.source === 'realtek' ? 'realtek' : 'esp32'} ${n.nodeId}`,
+    rateHz: num(n.csiRateHz),
     rate: `${fixed(n.csiRateHz)} Hz`,
     loss: pct(n.csiLossFraction),
     rssi: `${fixed(n.rssiMean)} dBm`,
@@ -75,11 +110,32 @@ export function modelOf(capture, radar, at) {
   const radarRow = radar && radar.ok !== false ? {
     name: radar.device?.name || radar.host || 'radar',
     present: radar.presentNow ?? (radar.presentFraction == null ? null : radar.presentFraction >= 0.5),
+    targets: num(radar.targetsMax),
+    distanceCm: num(radar.distanceCmMean),
+    heartBpm: num(radar.heartBpmMean),
+    breathingBpm: num(radar.breathingBpmMean),
     distance: radar.distanceCmMean == null ? '—' : `${fixed(radar.distanceCmMean)} cm`,
     heart: radar.heartBpmMean == null ? '—' : `${fixed(radar.heartBpmMean)} bpm`,
     breathing: radar.breathingBpmMean == null ? '—' : `${fixed(radar.breathingBpmMean)} bpm`,
   } : null;
-  return { at, packets: capture?.packets ?? 0, decoded: capture?.decodedPackets ?? 0, nodes, radar: radarRow, alerts };
+  return {
+    at, packets: capture?.packets ?? 0, decoded: capture?.decodedPackets ?? 0,
+    noPackets: capture?.reason === 'no_packets', nodes, radar: radarRow, alerts,
+  };
+}
+
+/** Append one model to a bounded history of trend values. */
+export function historyWith(history, model, max = HISTORY) {
+  const h = history || { heart: [], breathing: [], distance: [], rates: {} };
+  const cap = (arr, v) => [...arr, v].slice(-max);
+  const rates = { ...h.rates };
+  for (const n of model?.nodes || []) rates[n.key] = cap(rates[n.key] || [], n.rateHz);
+  return {
+    heart: cap(h.heart, model?.radar?.heartBpm ?? null),
+    breathing: cap(h.breathing, model?.radar?.breathingBpm ?? null),
+    distance: cap(h.distance, model?.radar?.distanceCm ?? null),
+    rates,
+  };
 }
 
 /** One line for the status bar. */
@@ -91,36 +147,101 @@ export function statusOf(model) {
   return parts.join(' · ');
 }
 
-/** Draw the pane with the surface's own elements ({ Box, Text, Button }). */
-export function viewOf(ui, model, { refreshMs, busy, onRefresh, onClose }) {
+/**
+ * Draw the pane with the surface's own elements ({ Box, Text, Button }).
+ * opts: { refreshMs, busy, onRefresh, onClose, columns, now, history, udpPort, radarConfigured }.
+ */
+export function viewOf(ui, model, opts) {
   const { Box, Text, Button } = ui;
-  const line = (children, props = {}) => Text({ ...props, wrap: 'truncate-end', children });
-  const rows = [];
-  const when = model && Number.isFinite(model.at) ? new Date(model.at).toLocaleTimeString() : '—';
-  rows.push(line(model ? `updated ${when} · every ${Math.round(refreshMs / 1000)}s · ${model.decoded}/${model.packets} packets decoded` : 'waiting for the first capture…', { dimColor: true }));
-  for (const a of model?.alerts || []) rows.push(Text({ color: a.level === 'bad' ? 'red' : 'yellow', wrap: 'wrap', children: `! ${a.text}` }));
-  if (model) {
-    rows.push(line('NODES', { bold: true }));
-    if (!model.nodes.length) rows.push(line('  none streaming to this machine', { dimColor: true }));
-    for (const n of model.nodes) {
-      rows.push(Box({ flexDirection: 'row', gap: 2, children: [
-        line(n.label.padEnd(10)), line(n.rate.padStart(9)),
-        line(`loss ${n.loss}`, n.lossy ? { color: 'yellow' } : {}), line(n.rssi), line(n.shape, { dimColor: true }),
-        n.synthetic ? line('SYNTHETIC', { color: 'yellow' }) : null,
-      ].filter(Boolean) }));
-    }
-    if (model.radar) {
-      const r = model.radar;
-      rows.push(line(`RADAR  ${r.name}`, { bold: true }));
-      rows.push(line(`  presence ${r.present == null ? '—' : r.present ? '● detected' : '○ none'} · distance ${r.distance} · heart ${r.heart} · breathing ${r.breathing}`, r.present ? { color: 'green' } : {}));
-      rows.push(line('  device-reported values, not validated against a reference', { dimColor: true }));
-    }
+  const { refreshMs, busy, onRefresh, onClose } = opts;
+  const columns = opts.columns ?? 80;
+  const history = opts.history || historyWith(null, null, 0);
+  const t = (children, props = {}) => Text({ wrap: 'truncate-end', ...props, children });
+  const row = (children, props = {}) => Box({ flexDirection: 'row', gap: 1, ...props, children: children.filter(Boolean) });
+  const every = `every ${Math.round(refreshMs / 1000)}s`;
+
+  // Header: freshness badge, update time and age.
+  const finiteAt = model && Number.isFinite(model.at);
+  const age = finiteAt && Number.isFinite(opts.now) ? opts.now - model.at : NaN;
+  const live = Number.isFinite(age) && age <= refreshMs * 2 + 5000;
+  const when = finiteAt ? new Date(model.at).toLocaleTimeString() : '—';
+  const badge = !model ? t('○ STARTING', { dimColor: true, bold: true })
+    : live ? t('● LIVE', { color: 'green', bold: true }) : t('○ STALE', { color: 'yellow', bold: true });
+  const header = row([
+    t('RuView', { color: 'cyan', bold: true }),
+    badge,
+    t(model ? `updated ${when}${ageOf(age) ? ` (${ageOf(age)})` : ''} · ${every}` : `waiting for the first capture… · ${every}`, { dimColor: true }),
+    busy ? t('⟳ refreshing', { color: 'cyan' }) : null,
+  ], { justifyContent: 'flex-start' });
+
+  const alerts = (model?.alerts || []).map((a) => Text({ color: a.level === 'bad' ? 'red' : 'yellow', wrap: 'wrap', children: `! ${a.text}` }));
+
+  // Radar card.
+  const vital = (label, value, raw, kind, series, unitWidth) => {
+    const warn = kind ? plausibilityOf(kind, raw) : null;
+    return row([
+      t(label.padEnd(10), { dimColor: true }),
+      t(value.padStart(unitWidth), { bold: raw != null && !warn, color: warn ? 'yellow' : undefined }),
+      t(sparkline(series), { color: 'cyan' }),
+      warn ? t(`⚠ ${warn}`, { color: 'yellow' }) : null,
+    ]);
+  };
+  let radarCard = null;
+  if (model?.radar) {
+    const r = model.radar;
+    const presence = r.present == null ? t('? presence unknown', { dimColor: true })
+      : r.present ? t(`● PRESENCE DETECTED${r.targets ? ` · ${r.targets} target${r.targets === 1 ? '' : 's'}` : ''}`, { color: 'green', bold: true })
+        : t('○ no presence', { dimColor: true });
+    radarCard = card('60 GHz RADAR', r.name, r.present ? 'green' : 'gray', [
+      presence,
+      vital('distance', r.distance, r.distanceCm, null, history.distance, 9),
+      vital('heart', r.heart, r.heartBpm, 'heart', history.heart, 9),
+      vital('breathing', r.breathing, r.breathingBpm, 'breathing', history.breathing, 9),
+      t('device-reported values, not validated against a reference', { dimColor: true, italic: true }),
+    ]);
+  } else if (model && !opts.radarConfigured) {
+    radarCard = card('60 GHz RADAR', 'not configured', 'gray', [
+      t('Set radarHost to an ESPHome radar kit:', { dimColor: true }),
+      t('claude plugin configure ruview-live', { color: 'cyan' }),
+    ]);
   }
-  rows.push(Box({ flexDirection: 'row', gap: 2, children: [
-    Button({ key: 'refresh', label: busy ? 'Refreshing…' : 'Refresh', hotkey: 'r', onPress: onRefresh }),
-    Button({ key: 'close', label: 'Close', hotkey: 'c', onPress: onClose }),
-  ] }));
-  return Box({ flexDirection: 'column', gap: 0, padding: 1, children: rows });
+
+  // Nodes card.
+  let nodesCard = null;
+  if (model) {
+    const lines = model.nodes.length
+      ? model.nodes.map((n) => row([
+        t(n.label.padEnd(10), { bold: true }),
+        t(n.rate.padStart(9)),
+        t(sparkline(history.rates[n.key]), { color: 'cyan' }),
+        t(`loss ${n.loss}`, n.lossy ? { color: 'yellow' } : { dimColor: true }),
+        t(n.rssi, { dimColor: true }),
+        t(n.shape, { dimColor: true }),
+        n.synthetic ? t('SYNTHETIC', { color: 'yellow', bold: true }) : null,
+      ]))
+      : [
+        t('none streaming to this machine', { dimColor: true }),
+        model.noPackets ? t(`check node target IP/port · firewall UDP ${opts.udpPort ?? 5005}`, { dimColor: true }) : null,
+      ].filter(Boolean);
+    nodesCard = card('CSI NODES', `UDP ${opts.udpPort ?? 5005} · ${model.decoded}/${model.packets} decoded`, model.nodes.length ? 'cyan' : 'gray', lines);
+  }
+
+  function card(title, subtitle, borderColor, children) {
+    return Box({
+      flexDirection: 'column', borderStyle: 'round', borderColor, paddingX: 1, flexGrow: 1,
+      children: [row([t(title, { bold: true }), t(subtitle, { dimColor: true })]), ...children],
+    });
+  }
+
+  const wide = columns >= 100;
+  const cards = [radarCard, nodesCard].filter(Boolean);
+  const body = cards.length ? Box({ flexDirection: wide ? 'row' : 'column', gap: 1, children: cards }) : null;
+  const footer = row([
+    Button({ key: 'refresh', label: busy ? 'Refreshing…' : 'Refresh (r)', hotkey: 'r', onPress: onRefresh }),
+    Button({ key: 'close', label: 'Close (c)', hotkey: 'c', onPress: onClose }),
+  ], { gap: 2 });
+
+  return Box({ flexDirection: 'column', gap: 1, paddingX: 1, children: [header, ...alerts, body, footer].filter(Boolean) });
 }
 
 /**
@@ -135,10 +256,15 @@ export function register(on, options = {}) {
   let isOpen = false;
   let busy = false;
   let model = null;
+  let history = null;
   let stopTimer = null;
+  let stopTick = null;
   let cliPath = null;
 
-  const stop = () => { if (stopTimer) { stopTimer(); stopTimer = null; } };
+  const stop = () => {
+    if (stopTimer) { stopTimer(); stopTimer = null; }
+    if (stopTick) { stopTick(); stopTick = null; }
+  };
   const cancelOf = (t) => (typeof t === 'function' ? t : () => t?.cancel?.());
 
   async function runCli(args) {
@@ -158,6 +284,7 @@ export function register(on, options = {}) {
       const [capture, radar] = await Promise.all([runCli(commands.capture), runCli(commands.radar)]);
       // $.clock.now() resolves a promise of epoch milliseconds.
       model = modelOf(resultOf(capture), resultOf(radar), await host.now());
+      history = historyWith(history, model);
       host.status(statusOf(model));
     } finally {
       busy = false;
@@ -165,11 +292,12 @@ export function register(on, options = {}) {
     }
   }
 
-  /** Start the refresh timer and fetch now, unless already polling. */
+  /** Start the refresh timer (and the age tick) and fetch now, unless already polling. */
   function startPolling() {
     isOpen = true;
     if (stopTimer) return;
     stopTimer = cancelOf(host.every(settings.refreshMs, () => { void refresh(); }));
+    stopTick = cancelOf(host.every(TICK_MS, () => host.invalidate()));
     void refresh();
   }
 
@@ -217,7 +345,13 @@ export function register(on, options = {}) {
     // open, so resume polling instead of waiting for the first capture forever.
     if (host && !stopTimer) startPolling();
     const ui = await $.ui.resolve(e);
-    return viewOf(ui, model, { refreshMs: settings.refreshMs, busy, onRefresh: () => { void refresh(); }, onClose: () => { void close(); } });
+    const now = await $.clock.now();
+    return viewOf(ui, model, {
+      refreshMs: settings.refreshMs, busy, history, now,
+      columns: e.props?.bodyColumns ?? e.viewport?.columns ?? 80,
+      udpPort: settings.udpPort, radarConfigured: Boolean(settings.radarHost),
+      onRefresh: () => { void refresh(); }, onClose: () => { void close(); },
+    });
   });
 
   on('ui.close', { id: PANE_ID }, async ($, e, next) => {
diff --git a/harness/ruview/mod/tests/register.test.ts b/harness/ruview/mod/tests/register.test.ts
index 78fe59368..d9d5b6b84 100644
--- a/harness/ruview/mod/tests/register.test.ts
+++ b/harness/ruview/mod/tests/register.test.ts
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ describe('register', () => {
     await $.session.start({ surface: 'terminal', isInteractive: true, cwd: '/work' })
     const { text } = await $.command.run({ command: 'ruview', args: 'refresh', origin: { kind: 'composer' } })
 
-    expect(text).toBe('RuView · 0 nodes · 1 alert')
-    expect(statuses.at(-1)).toBe('RuView · 0 nodes · 1 alert')
+    expect(text).toBe('RuView · 0 nodes')
+    expect(statuses.at(-1)).toBe('RuView · 0 nodes')
   })
 })
diff --git a/harness/ruview/test/mod.test.mjs b/harness/ruview/test/mod.test.mjs
index 748436a13..98c458fbe 100644
--- a/harness/ruview/test/mod.test.mjs
+++ b/harness/ruview/test/mod.test.mjs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import test from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
-import { cliPathOf, commandsOf, modelOf, resultOf, settingsOf, statusOf, viewOf } from '../mod/hooks/register.mjs';
+import { ageOf, cliPathOf, commandsOf, historyWith, modelOf, plausibilityOf, resultOf, settingsOf, sparkline, statusOf, viewOf } from '../mod/hooks/register.mjs';
 
 const capture = {
   ok: true, packets: 120, decodedPackets: 118,
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ test('the pane draws with the surface elements and wires both buttons', () => {
   walk(tree);
   const texts = flat.filter((n) => n.type === 'Text').map((n) => String(n.props.children));
   assert.ok(texts.some((t) => t.includes('heartbeats but no CSI')));
-  assert.ok(texts.some((t) => t.startsWith('RADAR')));
+  assert.ok(texts.some((t) => t === '60 GHz RADAR'));
   assert.ok(texts.some((t) => t.includes('not validated')));
   assert.ok(texts.some((t) => t === 'SYNTHETIC'));
   const buttons = flat.filter((n) => n.type === 'Button');
@@ -89,6 +89,59 @@ test('refresh awaits the clock before building the model', () => {
   assert.match(src, /model = modelOf\(.*await host\.now\(\)\);/);
 });
 
+test('sparklines, plausibility, ages and history are bounded and honest', () => {
+  assert.equal(sparkline([1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]), '▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█');
+  assert.equal(sparkline([5]), '', 'one point is not a trend');
+  assert.equal(sparkline([null, 3, NaN, 3]), '▄▄');
+  assert.equal(plausibilityOf('breathing', 1.0), 'outside 4–40 bpm', 'the live 1.0 bpm reading is flagged');
+  assert.equal(plausibilityOf('heart', 80.7), null);
+  assert.equal(plausibilityOf('heart', 250), 'outside 40–180 bpm');
+  assert.equal(plausibilityOf('breathing', null), null);
+  assert.equal(ageOf(12_400), '12s ago');
+  assert.equal(ageOf(185_000), '3m ago');
+  assert.equal(ageOf(NaN), '');
+  let h = null;
+  for (let i = 0; i < 30; i++) h = historyWith(h, modelOf(capture, { ...radar, heartBpmMean: 70 + i }, i));
+  assert.equal(h.heart.length, 24, 'history is bounded');
+  assert.equal(h.heart.at(-1), 99);
+  assert.equal(h.rates['realtek:3'].length, 24);
+});
+
+test('the redesigned pane: badge, cards side by side when wide, flags implausible vitals', () => {
+  const el = (type) => (props) => ({ type, props });
+  const ui = { Box: el('Box'), Text: el('Text'), Button: el('Button') };
+  const live = { ...radar, breathingBpmMean: 1.0, heartBpmMean: 80.7, distanceCmMean: 40.7, targetsMax: 1 };
+  const model = modelOf(capture, live, 1_000_000);
+  const base = { refreshMs: 15000, busy: false, onRefresh() {}, onClose() {}, udpPort: 5005, radarConfigured: true };
+  const flat = (node, out = []) => { if (node && typeof node === 'object') { out.push(node); [].concat(node.props?.children ?? []).forEach((c) => flat(c, out)); } return out; };
+  const wide = flat(viewOf(ui, model, { ...base, columns: 140, now: 1_012_000 }));
+  const texts = wide.filter((n) => n.type === 'Text').map((n) => String(n.props.children));
+  assert.ok(texts.includes('● LIVE'));
+  assert.ok(texts.some((t) => t.includes('(12s ago)')));
+  assert.ok(texts.some((t) => t.startsWith('● PRESENCE DETECTED · 1 target')));
+  assert.ok(texts.includes('⚠ outside 4–40 bpm'), 'breathing 1.0 bpm is flagged');
+  assert.ok(!texts.includes('⚠ outside 40–180 bpm'), 'heart 80.7 bpm is not flagged');
+  const cardsRow = wide.find((n) => n.type === 'Box' && n.props.children?.some?.((c) => c?.props?.borderStyle === 'round'));
+  assert.equal(cardsRow.props.flexDirection, 'row', 'cards sit side by side when wide');
+  const narrow = flat(viewOf(ui, model, { ...base, columns: 80, now: 1_012_000 }));
+  assert.equal(narrow.find((n) => n.type === 'Box' && n.props.children?.some?.((c) => c?.props?.borderStyle === 'round')).props.flexDirection, 'column');
+  const stale = flat(viewOf(ui, model, { ...base, columns: 80, now: 1_000_000 + 120_000 }));
+  assert.ok(stale.some((n) => n.type === 'Text' && n.props.children === '○ STALE'));
+  for (const n of wide) assert.ok(!('flexBasis' in (n.props || {})), 'only props the terminal Box takes');
+});
+
+test('no packets is a hint inside the nodes card, not a top alert', () => {
+  const el = (type) => (props) => ({ type, props });
+  const ui = { Box: el('Box'), Text: el('Text'), Button: el('Button') };
+  const m = modelOf({ ok: false, reason: 'no_packets', packets: 0, remedy: 'long remedy text' }, null, 0);
+  assert.equal(m.alerts.length, 0);
+  assert.equal(statusOf(m), 'RuView · 0 nodes');
+  const s = JSON.stringify(viewOf(ui, m, { refreshMs: 15000, busy: false, onRefresh() {}, onClose() {}, udpPort: 5005, radarConfigured: false, columns: 80, now: 0 }));
+  assert.match(s, /check node target IP\/port · firewall UDP 5005/);
+  assert.match(s, /claude plugin configure ruview-live/, 'an unconfigured radar says how to set it');
+  assert.doesNotMatch(s, /long remedy text/);
+});
+
 test('the mod manifest and hooks module are a valid plugin shape', () => {
   const plugin = JSON.parse(readFileSync(new URL('../mod/.claude-plugin/plugin.json', import.meta.url), 'utf8'));
   const hooks = JSON.parse(readFileSync(new URL('../mod/hooks/hooks.json', import.meta.url), 'utf8'));