The subject disclosure relates to techniques for improving performance of a machine learning algorithm that at least receives data descriptive of a 3-D object and provides an output, where the 3-D object occurs infrequently in a training dataset. A process of the disclosed technology can include determining that the machine learning algorithm performed below a threshold performance score when receiving data descriptive of the 3-D object in a real-world scene, wherein the 3-D object is classified as a first type of object, creating at least one 3-D representation of the first type of object for use in a simulation, modifying a plurality of simulated scenes to include the at least one 3-D representation of the first type of object, and training the machine learning algorithm with the modified simulated scenes, whereby the machine learning algorithm has greater exposure to the first type of object.