# Learning Coordinate-based Convolutional Kernels for Continuous SE(3) Equivariant and Efficient Point Cloud Analysis

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.17538 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.17538/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 43 of its 49 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 18 Mar 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 43)

- [Deep Residual Learning for Image Recognition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1512.03385/) (2015)
- [U-Net: Convolutional Networks for Biomedical Image Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1505.04597/) (2015)
- [PointNet: Deep Learning on Point Sets for 3D Classification and Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1612.00593/) (2016)
- [PointNet++: Deep Hierarchical Feature Learning on Point Sets in a Metric Space](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.02413/) (2017)
- [ShapeNet: An Information-Rich 3D Model Repository](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1512.03012/) (2015)
- [Dynamic Graph CNN for Learning on Point Clouds](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1801.07829/) (2018)
- [Point Transformer](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.00931/) (2020)
- [KPConv: Flexible and Deformable Convolution for Point Clouds](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.08889/) (2019)
- [Group Equivariant Convolutional Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1602.07576/) (2016)
- [Accelerating 3D Deep Learning with PyTorch3D](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.08501/) (2020)
- [PointCNN: Convolution On X-Transformed Points](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1801.07791/) (2018)
- [Tensor field networks: Rotation- and translation-equivariant neural networks for 3D point clouds](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1802.08219/) (2018)
- [PCT: Point cloud transformer](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2012.09688/) (2020)
- [PointConv: Deep Convolutional Networks on 3D Point Clouds](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1811.07246/) (2018)
- [SE(3)-Transformers: 3D Roto-Translation Equivariant Attention Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.10503/) (2020)
- [Point Transformer V3: Simpler, Faster, Stronger](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.10035/) (2023)
- [Deep Learning for 3D Point Clouds: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1912.12033/) (2019)
- [Point Transformer V2: Grouped Vector Attention and Partition-based Pooling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.05666/) (2022)
- [Deep Closest Point: Learning Representations for Point Cloud Registration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1905.03304/) (2019)
- [Steerable CNNs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1612.08498/) (2016)
- [Vector Neurons: A General Framework for SO(3)-Equivariant Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.12229/) (2021)
- [Generalizing Convolutional Neural Networks for Equivariance to Lie Groups on Arbitrary Continuous Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2002.12880/) (2020)
- [A General Theory of Equivariant CNNs on Homogeneous Spaces](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1811.02017/) (2018)
- [Frame Averaging for Invariant and Equivariant Network Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.03336/) (2021)
- [Autoencoders as Cross-Modal Teachers: Can Pretrained 2D Image Transformers Help 3D Representation Learning?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.08320/) (2022)
- [CKConv: Continuous Kernel Convolution For Sequential Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.02611/) (2021)
- [Equivariance with Learned Canonicalization Functions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.06489/) (2022)
- [Equivariant Point Network for 3D Point Cloud Analysis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.14147/) (2021)
- [Rotation Invariant Convolutions for 3D Point Clouds Deep Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1908.06297/) (2019)
- [FlexConv: Continuous Kernel Convolutions with Differentiable Kernel Sizes](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.08059/) (2021)

## Abstract (arXiv)

A symmetry on rigid motion is one of the salient factors in efficient learning of 3D point cloud problems. Group convolution has been a representative method to extract equivariant features, but its realizations have struggled to retain both rigorous symmetry and scalability simultaneously. We advocate utilizing the intertwiner framework to resolve this trade-off, but previous works on it, which did not achieve complete SE(3) symmetry or scalability to large-scale problems, necessitate a more advanced kernel architecture. We present Equivariant Coordinate-based Kernel Convolution, or ECKConv. It acquires SE(3) equivariance from the kernel domain defined in a double coset space, and its explicit kernel design using coordinate-based networks enhances its learning capability and memory efficiency. The experiments on diverse point cloud tasks, e.g., classification, pose registration, part segmentation, and large-scale semantic segmentation, validate the rigid equivariance, memory scalability, and outstanding performance of ECKConv compared to state-of-the-art equivariant methods.
