Photogrammetry and gaussian splatting to improve surface inspections

Abstract Physical inspections in various contexts (industrial, operational, medical, etc.) often require surface analysis, but how is it possible to review or improve past inspections retrospectively, even when the object under investigation is no longer available? Classical photogrammetry enables 3D reconstructions but often struggles with incomplete photo sets or noise. This study integrates photogrammetry with Gaussian Splatting, a recent technique enhancing visualisation via colour-based 3D rendering; virtual images obtained from Gaussian-Splatting renders enable the retrospective revisiting of photogrammetry-based reconstructions, improving their quality and accuracy. Two case studies in aerospace maintenance and medical imaging suggest that this approach can enhance ex-post surface inspections, allowing for a closer examination of details that were initially overlooked. The novelty of this contribution lies in the use of virtual renderings not only for visualisation purposes, but also as supplementary data to enrich 3D reconstruction, combining the visual strength of Gaussian Splatting with the geometric reliability of photogrammetry.