Hugues Bruyère
@smallfly • 8,158 subscribers
Try / Share / Iterate — Creative Technologist / Chief of Innovation @bonjourdpt
Shorts
Videos
Fast Company just published a great piece on World Labs , Fei-Fei Li , Marble, and the idea that spatial intelligence / world models may be one of the next big shifts in AI. I was happy to be quoted in the article, but I also wanted to share more context about my own experience with World Labs and Marble, and why this direction is especially interesting to me. My starting point: volumetric capture — For the past few years I’ve been exploring and using volumetric capture and reconstruction (photogrammetry, NeRFs, 3D Gaussian Splats) mostly capturing locations around Montreal. Alleys, museums, urban interiors. I love every step of it: the capture itself, the pipeline, and what can be done with the output. Turning real spaces into real-time explorable systems. I do this personally, sharing explorations here, and professionally as chief technologist, and co-founder of Dpt. Physical reality + generative manipulation — In my work I’m especially drawn to mixing physical reality with generative and digital manipulation: using physical interfaces (light, clay, ink, ... ) to drive generative AI pipelines, building mixed reality prototypes that reshape your surroundings, or starting from real captured spaces and transforming them using tools like Marble. Like many people, I saw the World Labs announcement on Twitter in September 2024, and Marble when it surfaced in early December. But by then, I already had a sense something was coming. The first conversation — As someone deep into volumetric capture and radiance fields, I obviously knew about Ben Mildenhall and his pioneering work on NeRF. To my surprise, Ben reached out to me in late June 2024. He’d been following some of my experiments and wanted to chat about my process and workflows and how I was using this “stuff” creatively. At that point he didn’t share what he was building, but we had a genuinely great conversation about radiance fields, AI, and my work. He was curious about the creative perspective, not just the technical one. When the World Labs announcement dropped a few months later, it all made sense. I understood what Ben had been working on, and why the creative angle mattered to them. Then in August 2025, he invited me to try the Marble beta, and I’ve been experimenting with it since. Experimenting with Marble — The first thing I used Marble for was materializing scene and world concepts during ideation at the studio, and seeing if and how it could fit into our production pipeline. In parallel, I dove into a series of experiments focused on world manipulation: starting from real captured spaces and transforming them using Marble. I’d already been exploring that idea using img2img diffusion with ControlNet on NeRF renders, real-time video streams, and even mixed reality using headset camera feeds. But Marble brings something different. It generates persistent, spatially cohesive 3D worlds that can be rendered in real time across a wide range of devices. That’s a real shift. Experiment 01: Parallel Realities — The first experiment, Parallel Realities, starts from a volumetric capture of a real location, reconstructed as 3D Gaussian Splats. Using Marble, I generate an alternate version of that same space, something informed by the original architecture: abandoned, nature-reclaimed, alternate era. Then, using Spark (World Labs’ 3D Gaussian Splatting renderer for THREE.js) I make both realities coexist in the same spatial coordinate system. From there, I use a portal UX mechanic to let the user step between the real reconstruction and the Marble-generated version. Experiment 02: Hidden Depth The second experiment, Hidden Depth, does not transform a space as much as expand it. A captured location has a visual boundary (a mural, a doorway, a dark corridor) and Marble generates what exists beyond it. For example: a Montreal alley has a painted mural; step through it and you’re inside a world informed by what is actually depicted there. World Labs showcased part of this work here: And in their Spark 2.0 post: The project page is here: Why this matters to me — Being able to start from a real 3D Gaussian Splat scene and manipulate it with Marble opens up a lot of ideas. The 3DGS pipeline is becoming an increasingly compelling foundation for exploration, experimentation, and storytelling. What matters most to me right now is more control. The more I can steer the generated scene or world, the more useful the tool becomes. I want more features like the already existing multiple input images and Chisel, the blockout-based approach. I would like better local control, the ability to expand a generated world more and more while preserving coherence, and the ability to directly import 3D Gaussian Splat scenes to be used as a starting point. I want more ways to shape the result, not just a “prompt and hope” approach. — It is exciting to see this field moving from research and demos toward actual creative workflows.
Hugues Bruyère69,960 次观看 • 2 个月前
'3D Gaussian Splatting for Real-Time RF Rendering' rose to the 2nd challenge I presented. The magnifying glass isn't still crystal clear, but the result is compelling. Look at the small details/hairs on the succulent plant. Rendered in real-time. #gaussiansplatting #3D #AI
Hugues Bruyère298,382 次观看 • 3 年前
The Ring (Montreal) — Dormant Memories series New alternate scene, and an iteration on the UX and flow. Starting from a volumetric capture of a real location in Montreal, reconstructed as 3D Gaussian Splats, I then used World Labs' Marble to generate alternate versions of that same space. Running in real time using spark. #GaussianSplatting #3DGS #pointcloud #sparkjs #threejs
Hugues Bruyère34,463 次观看 • 5 个月前
Point cloud, 3D GS and portal mechanics to move between them, all in real time (Spark + #ThreeJS). Moving from point cloud to 3DGS changes the perception of the same space dramatically... the Westmount Greenhouse captured w/ the PortalCam. #3DGS #GaussianSplatting #PointCloud
Hugues Bruyère31,401 次观看 • 6 个月前
In the past few weeks, I deep dived into an exploration revolving around the use of physical interfaces to feed and interact with a real-time img2img diffusion pipeline using Stream Diffusion and SDXL Turbo. What really captivated me is to use my hands, objects, art supplies, tools, and light to create images and scenes. 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 + 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 I experimented with clay, manipulating different types and colors along with a selection of prompts. I used a magnifying glass, tracked in real-time, to focus the diffusion process on specific areas. Combining these tools created a dynamic and inspiring experience. Using magic clay to layer shapes and colors as a base for revealing landscapes and hidden worlds, and the magnifying glass to focus and reveal these details, was particularly effective. 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 I used light as my method of interaction with the img2img diffusion. This approach felt special right away. There was something magical about holding a physical light source and seeing it influence the generated visuals. I iterated on this technique with themes like Rococo architecture, flowers, Brutalist architecture, hidden worlds, and origami landscapes. 𝗜𝗻𝗸 + 𝗛𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘀 I also used ink in milk as a means of physical interaction with the diffusion pipeline. As I drop ink into milk, shapes come alive instantly. By learning to manipulate the combination of physical and digital elements, I steered the generated output toward my areas of interest. These iterations extended beyond ink in milk to include the format in which these elements are contained: a circular plate or a triptych of small stainless steel trays. These formats provide a structured yet flexible framework to explore themes and narratives across multiple visual spaces. It's magical. Some of that last iteration has been captured in this insightful article by Fast Company: #stablediffusion #realtime #ai
Hugues Bruyère86,381 次观看 • 2 年前
A quick first pass at a new iteration of the realtime diffusion pipeline: physical interface → camera → realtime img2img → upscale → 3DGS through the new TripoSplat. Rough and held together with tape for now, but the whole loop runs end to end. Next: - better input and camera's pov, - splitting it across two machines to automate the hand-off, - and adding in the Tripo3D API for higher-res models... the 3D printer is just waiting for that. #diffusion #3DGS #TripoSplat
Hugues Bruyère15,526 次观看 • 3 个月前
What could be better than a portal?! A portal that lets you switch between point clouds and 3D Gaussian Splats. Built a web-based 3D Gaussian Splat viewer with SparkJS, letting me freely fly through the three locations I just captured using the #PortalCam. #GaussianSplatting
Hugues Bruyère28,386 次观看 • 7 个月前
New iteration on Parallel Timelines (working title). FLUX.2-Klein 4B now runs at a satisfactory real-time speed, balancing performance and visual quality. Hand tracking controls the split, letting me define where the transformed output appears; a more gestural and playful approach than the previous eye-tracked version. #ai #realtime #realtimeai #StableDiffusion
Hugues Bruyère20,818 次观看 • 6 个月前
Dormant Memories — a gallery regrouping my recent experiments built from real-world captures, reconstructed as 3D Gaussian Splats, and in many cases manipulated using World Labs' Marble. Everything is built with Spark, the 3D Gaussian splat renderer released by World Labs. It runs in the browser and can be experienced across devices: desktop, mobile, and headsets like Apple Vision Pro and Quest 3. This work comes out of something I've been exploring for a few years now: capturing fragments of the world (places, objects, moments...) and turning them into spaces that can then be revisited, manipulated, and explored in real time. What particularly interests me here is the process of creating alternate versions of the same place; starting from something that physically exists and using it as a base to explore variations, instead of generating from scratch. These explorations are part of what we do at Dpt.... same tools, same curiosity, same collaborative energy that shape the studio's work on interactive and immersive experiences. Some of these experiments were featured as part of the Spark 2.0 release by World Labs. Their technical blog post is a must-read; link in the thread ↓ These are experiments. They aren't fully optimized, they aren't bug-free, and the UX has rough edges. The goal is to explore, test, and learn. #GaussianSplatting #3DGS #pointcloud #WorldModels #sparkjs #threejs
Hugues Bruyère12,408 次观看 • 4 个月前
Three years ago, I captured Montreal's 'Radio Doctor' shop—one of those special places that make my neighborhood. Since 1960, Joseph Hovsepian has been repairing radios, turntables, and more. Here's the shop reconstructed as a 3D Gaussian splat. #gaussiansplatting #3dgs
Hugues Bruyère33,232 次观看 • 1 年前
Nature has reclaimed the space, and the dinosaurs are back from the dead. World manipulation using Marble from World Labs is amazing. Here, I used it on a capture of the Redpath Museum made with the PortalCam. #GaussianSplatting #3DGS #pointcloud #worldlabs #portalcam
Hugues Bruyère14,286 次观看 • 7 个月前
My first MR experiment outdoors, in an alleyway... and my first time wearing a VR headset in the street. Though it still feels awkward, I find the experience far superior to AR. The user's position controls time. #MixedReality #AR #XR #MadeWithUnity #3DScanning #MetaQuest3
Hugues Bruyère38,660 次观看 • 2 年前
