Reconstructing Tornadoes in 3D with Gaussian Splatting

TL;DR

This paper presents a new multiview dataset of a lab tornado and demonstrates effective 3D reconstruction and visualization of its structure using Gaussian splatting techniques.

Contribution

It introduces a novel tornado dataset and applies 3D Gaussian splatting for accurate tornado reconstruction, filling a gap in available data and methods.

Findings

Successful 3D reconstruction of tornado using Gaussian splatting

First controlled tornado dataset for 3D reconstruction research

Enhanced visualization of tornado structures in 3D

Abstract

Accurately reconstructing the 3D structure of tornadoes is critically important for understanding and preparing for this highly destructive weather phenomenon. While modern 3D scene reconstruction techniques, such as 3D Gaussian splatting (3DGS), could provide a valuable tool for reconstructing the 3D structure of tornados, at present we are critically lacking a controlled tornado dataset with which to develop and validate these tools. In this work we capture and release a novel multiview dataset of a small lab-based tornado. We demonstrate one can effectively reconstruct and visualize the 3D structure of this tornado using 3DGS.