Introduction to 3D Scene Reconstruction with Jonathan Stephens & Michael Rubloff
At the Alliance for Radiance and Computation (ARC), we are dedicated to driving innovation and collaboration in the rapidly evolving field of radiance field technologies.
With this first webinar, ARC proudly hosted a comprehensive introductory webinar featuring Jonathan Stephens, a leading evangelist in the field, and hosted by Michael Rubloff, managing editor of RadianceFields.com
This session offered a deep dive into the state of the art, practical applications, and future directions of radiance field technology.
Overview
We cover at a high level the fundamentals of radiance field representations, beginning with Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs) — a powerful technique that uses neural networks to reconstruct photorealistic 3D scenes from collections of 2D images.
The discussion then turned to 3D Gaussian Splatting, a newer approach that models scenes as sparse clouds of 3D Gaussians. This innovation allows for real-time rendering on consumer hardware, maintaining high visual quality while vastly improving performance and interactivity.
However, we also highlighted that there are several emerging radiance field representations occurring simultaneously. These include ray-traced based versions, in addition to voxels and other splatting techniques, such as convex and deformable betas.
Key Insights
- Real-Time Performance: Gaussian Splatting represents a major leap, enabling interactive experiences in gaming, XR, and virtual production.
- Strengths & Trade-offs: NeRFs deliver exceptional visual fidelity, while Gaussian Splatting offers superior speed and ease of editing.
- Ecosystem Growth: The technology landscape is rapidly evolving, with new open-source projects, commercial tools, and engine integrations emerging.
- Expanding Applications: From entertainment and architecture to digital twins and cultural heritage preservation, radiance fields are becoming practical tools across industries.
Join ARC in Shaping the Future
As the first association devoted exclusively to radiance field technology, ARC's mission is to connect researchers, developers, and industry leaders to share knowledge, foster innovation, and accelerate technology adoption.
We invite you to watch the full webinar to explore these exciting advancements firsthand and better understand how radiance fields can be leveraged in your projects.
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