The content creation landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) has emerged as a breakthrough technique for real-time, photorealistic 3D scene reconstruction from 2D images or video. Unlike traditional photogrammetry or slower neural radiance fields (NeRF), 3DGS delivers high-fidelity results with efficient rendering, making it ideal for web-based viewing, VR/AR experiences, digital twins, and even AI training environments.
To explore the boundaries of this technology, Insta360 and Antigravity launched Project Eternal, a global initiative that invited creators to capture real-world spaces using Insta360 X5 and Antigravity A1 and transform them into explorable 3D worlds. At the same time, we launched the #Turn360to3D challenge to engage the broader creator community.
Insta360 Enterprise partnered with three leading providers of 3DGS solutions for this campaign — Splatica, Aholo, and MipMap — to capture and process over 30 global landmarks into high-fidelity, web-explorable 3D models. The result demonstrated something important: the path from physical reality to the digital world is no longer reserved for specialized engineers. It is now accessible to everyone.
Why Insta360 Enterprise Joined Project Eternal
At Insta360, we focus on the foundational role that high-quality capture plays in 3DGS workflows. Premium 360-degree capture simplifies the collection of rich visual data from real spaces, providing a robust groundwork for photorealistic spatial content. Our goal is to seamlessly connect professional panoramic capture with specialized 3DGS processing capabilities, making the pipeline from physical space to digital asset more complete and flexible.
We launched Project Eternal alongside Splatica, Aholo, and MipMap to explore how 360 capture can support diverse assetization needs across cultural heritage, digital twins, and immersive content. Rather than enforcing a single, rigid workflow, Project Eternal highlights flexibility, using panoramic capture as a starting point for a wide range of spatial production use cases.
The Pipeline: Two Layers, One End-to-End Path
Through Project Eternal, Insta360 and its partners established a practical collaborative path that connects professional 360 capture with specialized 3DGS processing. With Insta360's standardized INSV file format at the center, panoramic content flows smoothly across downstream platforms, reducing friction between acquisition and generation, shortening production time, and supporting a range of spatial assetization needs.
Layer 1: Capture — Insta360 X5 + Antigravity A1
Insta360 makes spatial capture more efficient, accessible, and practical for 3DGS workflows. With X5 and A1, users can capture rich visual data across varied environments—from confined indoor spaces to expansive outdoor heritage sites—covering more ground with fewer steps, minimal setup complexity, and highly cost-effective deployment.
This hardware combination supports a streamlined workflow without sacrificing the visual consistency and coverage required for high-fidelity reconstruction. The INSV file format ensures source material remains consistent and easily transferable across partner platforms, allowing a single capture session to serve multiple downstream workflows.
Layer 2: Reconstruction — Three Platforms, One Ecosystem
Each partner brings a distinct strength to the pipeline, offering creators tailored options rather than a one-size-fits-all solution:
- Splatica: Rapid cloud automation for accessible 3DGS. Splatica offers a streamlined, automated web platform optimized for Insta360 INSV files, delivering ready-to-embed 3D scenes and engine-compatible exports within hours—all without requiring local GPU setups or complex configurations.
- Manycore Aholo: Spatial intelligence and high-fidelity rendering for complex spaces. Powered by a robust 3DGS algorithm engine, Aholo excels at processing intricate architectural geometries and producing render-quality outputs that withstand close inspection, making it ideal for world heritage sites and digital twin applications.
- MipMap: Industrial-grade precision for complex geometries and offline environments. Specializing in multi-source air-ground fusion modeling (A1 + X5), MipMap provides professional on-premise 3DGS and photogrammetry processing for industrial scenarios where cloud processing isn't an option or survey-grade precision is mandatory.
Four Standout Reconstructions
Project Eternal successfully captured more than 30 locations worldwide with the help of professional creators and partners. Here are four that best illustrate the range of what's possible.
Kurotani Konkaikomyoji Temple, Japan — Japanese creator @takashi.film used Antigravity A1 to capture 8K panoramic footage of this historic Buddhist temple in Kyoto. Splatica processed the INSV footage into a browser-navigable spatial experience, demonstrating how cultural landmarks can be preserved and shared globally without requiring specialized apps or viewing hardware.
Chengyang Bazhai, Guangxi, China — A traditional Dong ethnic village known for its drum towers, wind-and-rain bridges, and stilted houses. This project combined X5 for ground-level detail with A1 for aerial coverage. Processed via Aholo, the result transformed the village into a gamified, interactive "digital treasure hunt" where users can explore hidden architectural and cultural elements in a detailed 3D environment.
Chichén Itzá, Mexico — As one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the iconic El Castillo pyramid and its surrounding structures were captured by @Bohdan Bershadskyi using Insta360 One RS. Splatica's automated pipeline quickly produced a clean, explorable 3D model, proving that a high-quality 3DGS workflow requires neither massive crews nor specialized rigs.
Borobudur Temple, Indonesia — With Insta360 X5 and Antigravity A1, creators (@nabilensart and @arisazumi) captured the world's largest Buddhist temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. MipMap processed the data, establishing it as one of three major overseas UNESCO cases within Project Eternal (alongside Pompeii and Civita di Bagnoregio). The complex, tiered structure, complete with intricate relief panels and stupas, showcases how massive heritage sites can be successfully translated into navigable 3D environments.
Overcoming the Friction of Traditional 3D Workflows
At the capture layer, Insta360 simplifies data collection through professional 360 hardware and flexible ground-to-air acquisition. At the assetization layer, Project Eternal extends this value by bridging capture directly with specialized platforms to make 3D spatial output faster and far more accessible.
The true value of this collaboration lies in how it compresses a traditionally fragmented process. Capture requires less operational complexity and cost, while converting data into usable spatial assets no longer depends on weeks of highly specialized technical labor. Instead of treating panoramic footage as isolated media, Project Eternal establishes it as a practical entry point for cultural preservation, digital twins, and immersive content production.
Ultimately, Project Eternal proved that the combination of Insta360 X5 and Antigravity A1 represents the most efficient hardware duo for 3DGS capture today.
Rethinking Capture and Spatial Production
These initiatives point to a paradigm shift in 3D spatial production. Rather than starting with complex capture requirements and tightly coupled reconstruction pipelines, panoramic imaging serves as a highly flexible and efficient source layer for spatial generation. With lightweight hardware, high capture efficiency, and a standardized media format, Insta360 provides a practical foundation for collecting reconstruction-ready visual data.
By keeping panoramic source material interoperable across different processing environments, the workflow remains open. The same footage can support various reconstruction methods, output requirements, and deployment goals, giving enterprises greater control over asset production. This combination of efficient capture and downstream flexibility delivers broad value across heritage documentation, digital twins, and immersive media.
Next Steps
Project Eternal successfully demonstrated a repeatable framework for translating physical spaces into usable, high-fidelity 3D spatial data across heritage sites and complex environments worldwide.
Moving forward, Insta360 Enterprise will continue to innovate at the intersection of 360 capture and 3DGS workflows. We remain committed to deepening our integration with spatial intelligence technologies and leading the conversation on how physical spaces are transformed for the digital era.
Project Eternal was just the beginning.
Keen to keep up to date on Insta360 stories? Keep an eye on our blog and sign up for our mailing list. You can also contact our Enterprise team directly to see how 360 cameras can benefit your business.
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