Jul 23, 2026Research
SIGGRAPH 2026's message: splatting is infrastructure now
Photo: SIGGRAPH 2026 · Research
SIGGRAPH 2026 wrapped its first Los Angeles edition since 2023 with more than 9,500 attendees from 69 countries — and a papers program that treated gaussian splatting as core graphics infrastructure.
The big picture: Splatting has escaped novel view synthesis. This year's program pushed gaussian primitives into displays, physics, and simulation — the surest sign a technique has become a foundation others build on.
Zoom in:
- CoherentRaster brought 3DGS to light-field displays.
- GauSmoke reconstructed smoke with hybrid physics-optical splatting.
- LagrangianSplats moved gaussian primitives with divergence-free transport for fluid simulation.
- Organizers highlighted AI, robotics, neural rendering, and immersive storytelling as the through-lines, and debuted an inaugural Games Summit.
- Disney Research Fellow and Walt Disney Imagineering inventor Lanny Smoot delivered the keynote on July 20.
