Kuei (hi! in innu-aimun language)) My name is Stéphane Nepton. I am Innu (First Nation) from the community of Mashteuiatsh in Quebec. I work as a digital mediator and I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Digital Design at NAD-UQAC University in Montreal.
As part of my research, I aim to preserve and promote Indigenous heritage in Quebec through digital workshops with youth and elders, using 3D scanning technologies and open-source tools. My project focuses on biographical cartography in augmented reality for First Nations members. It explores how stories, legends, songs, lands, and artifacts can be safeguarded through digital workflows, free software, and open platforms.
For this purpose, I am working with 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) and eventually 4DGS in AR. After testing many tools, the only platform that truly meets my AR and splat requirements is PlayCanvas. I am now reaching out to you because I am looking for experts in Playcanvas.
I would be very interested in exploring the possibility of a research partnership. The prototype I am developing has never been attempted before and represents new knowledge in academic research.
By “research partnership,” I mean a collaborative approach where we can share knowledge, expertise, and resources around 3DGS and 4DGS. On my side, I am currently the only specialist in Quebec exploring the use of AI and emerging technologies for Indigenous digital heritage. For more than fifteen years, I have been designing and leading workshops in AR, photogrammetry, and AI with elementary and secondary school students.
Such a partnership could take several forms:
Co-development of prototypes: working together on concrete cases to refine workflows.
Exchange of technical know-how and expert advice:support in developing my final prototype, the central element of my master’s thesis. I already have several volumetric cameras and am waiting for an open-source tool to record in 3D (4DGS) with the hope of integrating it into PlayCanvas for AR display.
Scientific production and dissemination:co-publishing results in specialized conferences and journals, in a field still unexplored among First Nations communities.
My objective is to demonstrate that accessible and free digital tools—such as Supersplat, Scaniverse and postshot, can enhance and preserve Indigenous heritage. I also aim to build a reproducible workflow that empowers both youth and elders to strengthen their own digital agency. Beyond gaming, I wish to show how PlayCanvas can become a powerful platform for research and cultural preservation.
This partnership could remain flexible, depending on your interests—whether technical (optimization, integration, development) or academic (joint research, articles, presentations). If it moves forward, I will ensure all collaborators are fully credited, so the research contributes to generating new knowledge and recognition in the academic world.
I will share some of my latest projects on my YouTube channel, including a recent collaboration with the Atikamekw Nation in Manawan. This work was captured with an iPad and a small drone, and fully built in postshot and rendered in PlayCanvas in AR mode.
Tshinashkumitin (thank you, in Innu-aimun),
Stéphane
[https://www.youtube.com/@chezstephanenepton]
Project Name: Academic researsh for native alive archive preservation
Role Required: Tech artist, artist, programmers
My Role: Lead project something ?
My Previous Projects: (in youtube and video link)
Team Size: 1
Project Length: 6 months or less, depend of your availabilities
Compensation: None or few, i need somebody who’s interested to collaborate as a researsh partner (for prototype side)
Project Description: 3DGS and 4DGS for native preservation knowledge
