Key Highlights
- SeaSplat creates true-color 3D models of underwater scenes by removing visual distortions caused by water.
- It combines color correction with 3D Gaussian Splatting for immersive, accurate ocean exploration.
- Potential applications include coral reef health monitoring and marine biodiversity studies.
Water bends, scatters, and fades light, making underwater scenes appear hazy and color-distorted. A new tool called SeaSplat, developed by researchers at MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), overcomes these challenges to reveal the ocean’s true colors in vivid 3D.
SeaSplat uses a color-correcting algorithm to remove optical distortions like backscatter and attenuation—effects that make red objects vanish at a distance and create hazy visuals. It then combines this with 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) to build a detailed, explorable 3D world from underwater images.
SeaSplat Tool Testing
The tool has been tested using images from the Red Sea, Caribbean, and Pacific Ocean, producing realistic underwater scenes. Even from varying angles and distances, SeaSplat retains true object colors, unlike traditional methods where colors fade or shift.
With SeaSplat, scientists can now virtually “swim” through a coral reef, identifying bleaching and species types more accurately, as colors remain consistent regardless of viewpoint.
Future Possibilities
Though SeaSplat currently requires powerful desktop computing, it holds promise for tethered underwater robots that send data to surface ships in real time. The team presented their work at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).
“This is the first approach that can build high-quality 3D underwater models quickly and accurately,” said WHOI’s Yogesh Girdhar. “It could revolutionize how we monitor marine ecosystems.”
SeaSplat marks a major leap in underwater imaging, making it easier for scientists to study marine ecosystems with unprecedented clarity. As the technology evolves, it could become a powerful tool for ocean conservation and research worldwide.