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Distance learning has grown at an exponential rate in recent years, the habits of the population at large have changed, which is why universities and educational centres are constantly developing new solutions to improve the quality of education. Technologies play an important role in this task. In this regard, the BISITE Research Group of the University of Salamanca, a specialist in technologies applied to different fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, 3D printing or augmented reality, has developed the HoloMed project - Reinforcement Learning System for Training in Medicine through holographic projections.

The HoloMed project applies virtual reality and 3D models to distance learning in the healthcare field. It is presented under the TCUE University-Business Knowledge Transfer Plan (PC_TCUE18-20P_012), coordinated by Sara Rodríguez González with the participation of researchers from the BISITE Group, Ángel Martín Domínguez and Raúl López Blanco.  The project focuses on medical students, although it can also be useful for other university students, and is conceived as a repository of 3D models that can be used for learning in different disciplines.

Adverse situations such as those experienced during the pandemic caused by COVID-19, accelerated the development of solutions of this type, as it became clear that there was a need for alternatives offering distance learning with the benefits of face-to-face training, without compromising on quality. BISITE researchers designed a repository of 3D models of cells, bones, muscles and others that is deployed in the cloud, to which new models can be added as they are developed in accordance with the needs of each client.  

The development also includes a module based on learning which allows users to see how they have performed when viewing the 3D models in the project's web interface. It also integrates holographic projectors based on 3D representation technology with which users can visualise the components of the 3D model at any time and in detail. They can also follow their progress through a responsive web interface that can be viewed from different devices.

Artificial intelligence also plays a fundamental role in this project. The implementation of Deep Reinforced Learning allows the contents to be adapted to the learning speed of the student or doctor in training using the platform. 

HoloMed is undoubtedly an excellent solution when it comes to distance learning for subjects that require real examples to be understood or practised.