# Learning Latent Dynamic Robust Representations for World Models

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.06263 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.06263/

## Key facts

- Cited by 21 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Latent dynamics models and model-based RL, one of 11 directions in World models.
- Builds on 62 of its 75 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 10 May 2024.

## Placed in

- World models / [Latent dynamics models and model-based RL](https://mlsanity.com/wm/latent-dynamics-models-and-model-based-rl/)
- Deep reinforcement learning methods / [RL for robot locomotion and manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/deeprl/rl-for-robot-locomotion-and-manipulation/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 62)

- [Masked Autoencoders Are Scalable Vision Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2111.06377/) (2021)
- [Grad-CAM: Visual Explanations from Deep Networks via Gradient-based Localization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1610.02391/) (2016)
- [Unsupervised Learning of Visual Features by Contrasting Cluster Assignments](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.09882/) (2020)
- [Sinkhorn Distances: Lightspeed Computation of Optimal Transportation Distances](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1306.0895/) (2013)
- [The Kinetics Human Action Video Dataset](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1705.06950/) (2017)
- [Dream to Control: Learning Behaviors by Latent Imagination](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1912.01603/) (2019)
- [Matterport3D: Learning from RGB-D Data in Indoor Environments](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1709.06158/) (2017)
- [VideoMAE: Masked Autoencoders are Data-Efficient Learners for Self-Supervised Video Pre-Training](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.12602/) (2022)
- [Learning Latent Dynamics for Planning from Pixels](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1811.04551/) (2018)
- [Mastering Diverse Domains through World Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.04104/) (2023)
- [Mastering Atari with Discrete World Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.02193/) (2020)
- [Exploration by Random Network Distillation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1810.12894/) (2018)
- [DeepMind Control Suite](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1801.00690/) (2018)
- [Deep Reinforcement Learning at the Edge of the Statistical Precipice](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.13264/) (2021)
- [Recurrent World Models Facilitate Policy Evolution](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1809.01999/) (2018)
- [When to Trust Your Model: Model-Based Policy Optimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1906.08253/) (2019)
- [CURL: Contrastive Unsupervised Representations for Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2004.04136/) (2020)
- [Deep Reinforcement Learning that Matters](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1709.06560/) (2017)
- [Improving Variational Inference with Inverse Autoregressive Flow](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1606.04934/) (2016)
- [Habitat-Matterport 3D Dataset (HM3D): 1000 Large-scale 3D Environments for Embodied AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.08238/) (2021)
- [Image Augmentation Is All You Need: Regularizing Deep Reinforcement Learning from Pixels](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2004.13649/) (2020)
- [Masked Feature Prediction for Self-Supervised Visual Pre-Training](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.09133/) (2021)
- [TD-MPC2: Scalable, Robust World Models for Continuous Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.16828/) (2023)
- [Learning Invariant Representations for Reinforcement Learning without Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.10742/) (2020)
- [Masked Autoencoders As Spatiotemporal Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.09113/) (2022)
- [Temporal Difference Learning for Model Predictive Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.04955/) (2022)
- [Mastering Visual Continuous Control: Improved Data-Augmented Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.09645/) (2021)
- [ManiSkill2: A Unified Benchmark for Generalizable Manipulation Skills](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.04659/) (2023)
- [Improving Sample Efficiency in Model-Free Reinforcement Learning from Images](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1910.01741/) (2019)
- [FLAMBE: Structural Complexity and Representation Learning of Low Rank MDPs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.10814/) (2020)

## Built on by (most cited first, 21 of 21)

- [A Comprehensive Survey on World Models for Embodied AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.16732/) (2025)
- [FlowDreamer: A RGB-D World Model with Flow-based Motion Representations for Robot Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.10075/) (2025)
- [Learning Invariant Visual Representations for Planning with Joint-Embedding Predictive World Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.18639/) (2026)
- [EgoForge: Goal-Directed Egocentric World Simulator](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.20169/) (2026)
- [DMWM: Dual-Mind World Model with Long-Term Imagination](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.07591/) (2025)
- [WMAttack: Automated Attack Search for Adversarial Evaluation of World-Model Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.23220/) (2026)
- [EvolvingAgent: Curriculum Self-evolving Agent with Continual World Model for Long-Horizon Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.05907/) (2025)
- [World Model Robustness via Surprise Recognition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.01119/) (2025)
- [MetaMind: General and Cognitive World Models in Multi-Agent Systems by Meta-Theory of Mind](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.00808/) (2026)
- [PH-Dreamer: A Physics-Driven World Model via Port-Hamiltonian Generative Dynamics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.18303/) (2026)
- [Diagnosing JEPA World Models with Action-Conditioned Predictive Consistency](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.12939/) (2026)
- [ARB4WM: An Adversarial Robustness Benchmark for World Models in Continuous Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.16605/) (2026)
- [Dueling World Models: Advantage-Style Action Channels for Common-Mode Distractor Rejection](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.06706/) (2026)
- [Debiased Model-based Representations for Sample-efficient Continuous Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.11711/) (2026)
- [OrbiSim: World Models as Differentiable Physics Engines for Embodied Intelligence](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.16395/) (2026)
- [MInCo: Mitigating Information Conflicts in Distracted Visual Model-based Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.04164/) (2025)
- [Pessimistic Auxiliary Policy for Offline Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.23974/) (2026)
- [Towards Dual-Brain Minimal Sufficient Representation for Vision-Language Navigation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.23181/) (2026)
- [TaskSense: Focusing on What Matters in World Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.06544/) (2026)
- [StarWM: Self-Supervised Trained Attention Routing for Robust World Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.30667/) (2026)
- [VIGOR: Zero-Shot Visual Generalization via Latent-Space Consistency in Model-Based Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2610.02801/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Visual Model-Based Reinforcement Learning (MBRL) promises to encapsulate agent's knowledge about the underlying dynamics of the environment, enabling learning a world model as a useful planner. However, top MBRL agents such as Dreamer often struggle with visual pixel-based inputs in the presence of exogenous or irrelevant noise in the observation space, due to failure to capture task-specific features while filtering out irrelevant spatio-temporal details. To tackle this problem, we apply a spatio-temporal masking strategy, a bisimulation principle, combined with latent reconstruction, to capture endogenous task-specific aspects of the environment for world models, effectively eliminating non-essential information. Joint training of representations, dynamics, and policy often leads to instabilities. To further address this issue, we develop a Hybrid Recurrent State-Space Model (HRSSM) structure, enhancing state representation robustness for effective policy learning. Our empirical evaluation demonstrates significant performance improvements over existing methods in a range of visually complex control tasks such as Maniskill citegu2023maniskill2 with exogenous distractors from the Matterport environment. Our code is avaliable at https://github.com/bit1029public/HRSSM.