Perseverance Landing Path (Camera Tracked)

sketchfab

NASA's Perseverance Rover lands with precision animation. The initial surface model was created using Reality Capture technology, capturing every detail from the RDC camera image sequence of the landing site. However, it has since been updated to a more accurate terrain mesh generated from the HiRISE 1-meter Digital Elevation Model of Jezero Crater. To add a realistic touch, the texture was reprojected in Reality Capture, making the animation even more immersive. All extracted camera positions were then used to bring the rover's static model to life, animating its movements with incredible detail. But there's one challenge that required some extra effort: the skycrane activation caused the image to become too cloudy for automatic reconstruction. So, the last part of this animation was done manually, directly referencing the video material and re-creating the oscillations as accurately as possible. This stunning animation is perfectly synchronized with the mission control call-outs, providing an unparalleled look at NASA's Perseverance Rover landing site. Special thanks go to Brian Kumanchik for his incredible 3D model of the rover, and to NASA/JPL-Caltech for sharing their RDC image sequence.