Self-Improving 4D Perception via Self-Distillation
On the map: Knowledge distillation → Detection and dense prediction distillation
Abstract (arXiv)
Large-scale multi-view reconstruction models have made remarkable progress, but most existing approaches still rely on fully supervised training with ground-truth 3D/4D annotations. Such annotations are expensive and particularly scarce for dynamic scenes, limiting scalability. We propose SelfEvo, a self-improving framework that continually improves pretrained multi-view reconstruction models using unlabeled videos. SelfEvo introduces a self-distillation scheme using spatiotemporal context asymmetry, enabling self-improvement for learning-based 4D perception without external annotations. We systematically study design choices that make self-improvement effective, including loss signals, forms of asymmetry, and other training strategies. Across eight benchmarks spanning diverse datasets and domains, SelfEvo consistently improves pretrained baselines and generalizes across base models (e.g. VGGT and π3), with significant gains on dynamic scenes. Overall, SelfEvo achieves up to 36.5% relative improvement in video depth estimation and 20.1% in camera estimation, without using any labeled data. Project Page: https://self-evo.github.io/.
Key facts. Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in Detection and dense prediction distillation, one of 12 directions in Knowledge distillation. Builds on 63 of its 79 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 9 Apr 2026.
Builds on
63 of 79 references.
References · 63
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38 more
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50 most cited of 63 All 63 (JSON)
Built on by
Citing papers per year: 2026: 4.
4 papers.
- 2026VGGT-Omegacited by 26
- 2026VLRC: Vision-Language Reprojection Consistency as a scalable signal for better feed-forward 3D pretrainingcited by 0
- 2026Self-Geometry: GT-Free and Plug-and-Play Test-Time Adaptation for Geometrically Consistent 3D Vision Foundation Modelscited by 0
- 2026Emergent Multi-View Geometry Through Self-Distillationcited by 0
- 2026Emergent Multi-View Geometry Through Self-Distillation30 Sep 2026
- 2026Self-Geometry: GT-Free and Plug-and-Play Test-Time Adaptation for Geometrically Consistent 3D Vision Foundation Models11 Aug 2026
- 2026VLRC: Vision-Language Reprojection Consistency as a scalable signal for better feed-forward 3D pretraining2 Jul 2026
- 2026VGGT-Omega14 May 2026
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- 20254DNeX: Feed-Forward 4D Generative Modeling Made Easy
- 2021Excavating the Potential Capacity of Self-Supervised Monocular Depth Estimation
- 2021SUB-Depth: Self-distillation and Uncertainty Boosting Self-supervised Monocular Depth Estimation
- 2025Video Self-Distillation for Single-Image Encoders: A Step Toward Physically Plausible Perception
- 2022KD-MVS: Knowledge Distillation Based Self-supervised Learning for Multi-view Stereo
- 20254Real-Video-V2: Fused View-Time Attention and Feedforward Reconstruction for 4D Scene Generation
- 2025Diff4Splat: Controllable 4D Scene Generation with Latent Dynamic Reconstruction Models