mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

Self-Improving 4D Perception via Self-Distillation

arXiv 2604.08532 ↗First posted 9 Apr 2026cs.CVcited by 4

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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  2. 2020An Image is Worth 16x16 Words: Transformers for Image Recognition at Scalecited by 30,186
  3. 2015Distilling the Knowledge in a Neural Networkcited by 10,324
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  11. 2019SuperGlue: Learning Feature Matching with Graph Neural Networkscited by 1,443
  12. 2020Big Self-Supervised Models are Strong Semi-Supervised Learnerscited by 1,380
38 more
  1. 2024Depth Anything: Unleashing the Power of Large-Scale Unlabeled Datacited by 1,360
  2. 2017SuperPoint: Self-Supervised Interest Point Detection and Descriptioncited by 1,320
  3. 2019Self-training with Noisy Student improves ImageNet classificationcited by 1,311
  4. 2024Grounding Image Matching in 3D with MASt3Rcited by 983
  5. 2018MVSNet: Depth Inference for Unstructured Multi-view Stereocited by 788
  6. 2017Unsupervised Learning of Depth and Ego-Motion from Videocited by 782
  7. 2020pi-GAN: Periodic Implicit Generative Adversarial Networks for 3D-Aware Image Synthesiscited by 708
  8. 2025Depth Anything 3: Recovering the Visual Space from Any Viewscited by 692
  9. 2020GRAF: Generative Radiance Fields for 3D-Aware Image Synthesiscited by 689
  10. 2023LightGlue: Local Feature Matching at Light Speedcited by 590
  11. 2025Continuous 3D Perception Model with Persistent Statecited by 548
  12. 2019Be Your Own Teacher: Improve the Performance of Convolutional Neural Networks via Self Distillationcited by 497
  13. 2024MonST3R: A Simple Approach for Estimating Geometry in the Presence of Motioncited by 442
  14. 2025Fast3R: Towards 3D Reconstruction of 1000+ Images in One Forward Passcited by 367
  15. 2022HOI4D: A 4D Egocentric Dataset for Category-Level Human-Object Interactioncited by 327
  16. 2019D2-Net: A Trainable CNN for Joint Detection and Description of Local Featurescited by 326
  17. 2025π3: Permutation-Equivariant Visual Geometry Learningcited by 319
  18. 2018Learning Category-Specific Mesh Reconstruction from Image Collectionscited by 317
  19. 2016LIFT: Learned Invariant Feature Transformcited by 306
  20. 2026Self-Distillation Enables Continual Learningcited by 247
  21. 2019Unsupervised Scale-consistent Depth and Ego-motion Learning from Monocular Videocited by 244
  22. 2020D3VO: Deep Depth, Deep Pose and Deep Uncertainty for Monocular Visual Odometrycited by 206
  23. 2024MASt3R-SLAM: Real-Time Dense SLAM with 3D Reconstruction Priorscited by 205
  24. 2019ReFusion: 3D Reconstruction in Dynamic Environments for RGB-D Cameras Exploiting Residualscited by 181
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  29. 2022CroCo: Self-Supervised Pre-training for 3D Vision Tasks by Cross-View Completioncited by 160
  30. 2024MV-DUSt3R+: Single-Stage Scene Reconstruction from Sparse Views In 2 Secondscited by 141
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  33. 2021TransformerFusion: Monocular RGB Scene Reconstruction using Transformerscited by 106
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  38. 2019HoloGAN: Unsupervised learning of 3D representations from natural imagescited by 59

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Citing papers per year: 2026: 4.

4 papers.

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  1. 2026Full-4D: Generating Full-Scope 4D Scenes from a Single-View Video
  2. 20254DNeX: Feed-Forward 4D Generative Modeling Made Easy
  3. 2021Excavating the Potential Capacity of Self-Supervised Monocular Depth Estimation
  4. 2021SUB-Depth: Self-distillation and Uncertainty Boosting Self-supervised Monocular Depth Estimation
  5. 2025Video Self-Distillation for Single-Image Encoders: A Step Toward Physically Plausible Perception
  6. 2022KD-MVS: Knowledge Distillation Based Self-supervised Learning for Multi-view Stereo
  7. 20254Real-Video-V2: Fused View-Time Attention and Feedforward Reconstruction for 4D Scene Generation
  8. 2025Diff4Splat: Controllable 4D Scene Generation with Latent Dynamic Reconstruction Models