Luma AI
AI-powered 3D capture and generation platform featuring Genie for text/image-to-3D models and NeRF-based photogrammetry for photorealistic 3D scene reconstruction
Overview
Luma AI is a pioneering 3D AI company that combines neural radiance field (NeRF) technology with generative AI to create the most accessible 3D capture and generation tools available. Founded in 2021 by Amit Jain and others, Luma made 3D scanning accessible to anyone with an iPhone through their breakthrough NeRF-based capture app. Their Genie product brings text-to-3D and image-to-3D generation, allowing creators to generate game-ready 3D assets from simple prompts or reference images in seconds. Whether you need to capture real-world objects with photorealistic fidelity or generate entirely new 3D models from imagination, Luma AI delivers professional-quality results with consumer-friendly tools.
The Verdict
Who Should Use Luma AI?
Best For
- Game developers needing quick 3D assets
- Real estate and e-commerce product photography
- VFX artists capturing real-world references
- Architects and designers doing 3D documentation
- Content creators making 3D social media posts
- Indie developers with limited 3D modeling skills
Not Ideal For
- High-poly production modeling (use Blender)
- Precise CAD/engineering work
- Android users (iOS-only capture app)
- Those needing rigged/animated characters
- Offline-only workflows (cloud-based)
What's Great
- Best-in-class NeRF capture quality from just iPhone video
- Genie generates textured 3D models from text or images in seconds
- Gaussian Splatting support for ultra-realistic renders
- Export to standard formats (GLB, USDZ, OBJ)
- Free tier includes meaningful capture and generation limits
- API available for production integration
- Web-based viewer requires no special software
- Active development with frequent model improvements
Watch Out For
- iOS-only for 3D capture (no Android app)
- Generated models may need cleanup in 3D software
- Reflective/transparent surfaces challenging for NeRF
- Large scenes require significant processing time
- Limited control over generated model topology
- Premium features require subscription
Pricing
View all features & details
Genie (3D Generation)
- Text-to-3D model generation
- Image-to-3D conversion
- Multi-view consistent output
- Automatic texturing
- Game-ready mesh topology
- GLB/OBJ/FBX export
- 4-second generation time
- API access available
NeRF Capture
- iPhone LiDAR-enhanced capture
- Neural Radiance Fields
- Gaussian Splatting support
- Photorealistic reconstruction
- 360-degree object capture
- Room-scale scene capture
- USDZ for AR Quick Look
- Web embeddable viewer
Export Formats
- GLB/glTF (web standard)
- USDZ (Apple AR)
- OBJ + MTL (universal)
- FBX (game engines)
- PLY (point clouds)
- Video flythrough
- Embeddable iframe
Platform Support
- iOS app (capture)
- Web app (Genie, viewing)
- REST API
- Blender plugin
- Unity integration
- Unreal Engine plugin
Real-World Usage
Industry Adoption
- 10M+ 3D captures created
- Used by major e-commerce brands
- VFX studios for on-set capture
- Game studios for asset creation
Company Info
- Founded: 2021
- Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA
- $70M+ raised (Series B, 2023)
- Backed by a16z, Matrix Partners
How It Compares
| Feature | Luma AI | Meshy | Tripo | Polycam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text-to-3D | Genie (fast) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Image-to-3D | Yes | Yes | Best quality | Limited |
| NeRF Capture | Best-in-class | No | No | Yes |
| Gaussian Splats | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| API Access | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iOS Capture | Excellent | No | No | Excellent |
| Export Formats | All major | All major | All major | All major |
| Best For | Capture + Generation | Text-to-3D | Fast 3D gen | LiDAR scanning |