3D models: Gaussian splats with the CERN Globe
The CERN Globe of Science and Innovation is one of the most recognizable buildings at CERN. It’s a wooden structure with a complex geometry and a beautiful lattice of beams — a perfect subject to experiment with 3D reconstruction from images.
In this post I experimented with a modern 3D pipeline combining photogrammetry and neural rendering techniques to reconstruct the Globe from a set of photographs. The result is an interactive model you can explore below.
From photos to a 3D scene
The first step is classic Structure-from-Motion. Using COLMAP, a set of images is analysed to:
- detect visual features in each photo
- match them across different images
- estimate camera positions
- triangulate the 3D structure of the scene
The output of this step is a sparse point cloud and the estimated camera poses. From there, a dense reconstruction generates a detailed point cloud of the object.
Enter Gaussian Splatting
Traditional photogrammetry pipelines often produce meshes or dense point clouds. Instead, I converted the reconstruction into a Gaussian Splatting representation. In this approach the scene is represented as a collection of 3D Gaussians, each storing:
- position in space
- color information (spherical harmonics)
- opacity
- orientation
- scale
When rendered, these Gaussian primitives are projected onto the image plane as small “splats” that blend together to reconstruct the scene. The advantage is that Gaussian splatting can produce very realistic renderings while remaining lightweight enough to run interactively in the browser.
Optimizing for the web
The original reconstruction contained several million Gaussian primitives and resulted in a model of about 700 MB. To make the model usable in a browser, I downsampled the representation to around 30 MB, keeping the overall structure and visual appearance while reducing the loading time. This allows the model to be embedded directly in this page and explored interactively.
Why this is interesting
Techniques like Gaussian splatting represent a new generation of 3D reconstruction pipelines. Compared with traditional mesh-based workflows, they allow:
- fast rendering
- compact representations
- smooth view interpolation
- interactive exploration directly in the browser
They are increasingly used in research areas ranging from digital heritage to robotics and AR/VR.
Try the interactive model
Above you can explore the reconstructed model of the CERN Globe.
Drag to rotate the view, zoom to inspect details of the wooden structure, and explore the scene reconstructed from photographs.
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