May 06, 2026
Turning real spaces into reusable digital experiences
How can broadcasters capture real‑world environments once and reuse them across productions, formats and platforms? And how can those environments become part of the audience experience itself? At VRT, these questions are driving ongoing experimentation with Gaussian Splatting, an emerging 3D capture technique that allows physical spaces to be transformed into highly detailed, navigable digital environments.
Together with technology providers, research institutes and production partners, VRT is exploring how this technology can support more efficient workflows, richer storytelling and new forms of audience engagement.
This work is part of VRT’s broader innovation approach: testing new technologies in real production contexts and sharing insights through open collaboration within research and innovation networks such as Future Media Hubs.
What is Gaussian Splatting, and why is VRT exploring it?
Capturing real environments in 3D is not new. Techniques like photogrammetry- reconstructing locations from large sets of images - have been used for years to visualise real places. However, these methods often struggle with fine detail and flexibility, especially when environments need to be reused or viewed up close. Gaussian Splatting takes a different approach. Instead of building structured 3D meshes, it represents a scene as millions of tiny “splats” in space. Each splat contains information about position, size and colour, and together they form a highly realistic image of the scanned environment. The result is a faithful visual reconstruction, especially noticeable when moving through the space or zooming in on details.
Gregg Young, Head of Innovation at VRT Studios: “Gaussian splatting is a breakthrough for virtual production in broadcasting. It allows us to capture real-world environments as highly detailed, photorealistic 3D scenes that can be rendered in real time, essentially turning any location into a reusable virtual set. This dramatically reduces the need for costly physical builds and location shoots, while giving creative teams far more flexibility to adapt scenes, camera angles, and even lighting.”
From production workflows to audience interaction
Within the VIVACE research project, supported by VLAIO, VRT is testing Gaussian Splatting in collaboration with partners such as EMG, Uncanny, Datameister, Digital Arts and Entertainment and IDLab (imec). The focus is on practical use cases that can inform future media workflows.
One set of experiments looks at studio and set capture. Physical sets - often built temporarily for smaller formats such as vodcasts - are scanned once and reused digitally. These environments can be placed on LED walls, extended virtually, or reused across episodes without rebuilding the physical space. This increases efficiency, flexibility and consistency while preserving the authenticity of real sets.
Other tests explore larger‑scale environments, such as scanning complex structures or landmarks with drones and integrating them into virtual productions. This allows broadcasters to combine real‑world context with virtual extensions that would be impossible to realise physically in a studio.
Beyond production, Gaussian Splatting is also being used to extend formats beyond the broadcast. In the programme Ons Huis, Nieuw Huis, VRT collaborated with 3‑DEE to create interactive 3D tours of renovated homes. Viewers could explore the spaces themselves, accessing additional layers such as before‑and‑after views, contextual information and interactive product integrations.
For audiences, this turns linear viewing into a more immersive and self‑directed experience. For media makers, it creates persistent content that lives beyond a single broadcast moment. And for partners, it enables a shift from classic product placement to active expert positioning - adding tutorials, practical guidance or exclusive offers within the environment itself. Because interaction can be measured, these experiences also provide valuable insights into audience behaviour and engagement.
Looking ahead: collaboration as a key enabler
Gaussian Splatting is not yet a standard tool in media production, but it is moving rapidly from experimentation toward practical application. More importantly, it illustrates a broader shift in how media innovation happens.
By working together across broadcasters, technology developers and research organisations, VRT is exploring how real spaces can become reusable digital assets—supporting new workflows, new formats and new business models. In this sense, Gaussian Splatting is not just a technical experiment, but a concrete example of how collaborative innovation can help shape the future of media.
