The leonardo WEBD project: an example of the Web3d technology applications for distance training and learning

Design engineering require appropriate underpinning knowledge and the development of skills and competences through laboratory and workshop practice; moreover, the need of a continuous vocational training can’t be completely satisfied for those people who can’t benefit of the traditional learning infrastructures in the European community. Therefore it is necessary to supply this unsatisfied demand of qualifying lifelong learning and training by the means of new tools and technologies. In order to overcome this difficulty, the WEBD project (Web Based learning/training Biomedical and Design Engineering) is proposing to use advanced distance learning technologies to provide professional education for biomedical and design engineers. Web3D is ideal for distance education for the simple reason that it allows students to study realistic images of phenomena and objects and then ask questions to the instructor on line. The primary beneficiaries of the WEBD program, the biomedical and design technicians throughout Europe, will be trained to understand and use various tools, equipment and products by simulations with virtual reality-based multimedia, and without the often prohibitive cost of expensive machines and materials. The combination of multimedia and virtual reality that characterize the WEBD program will ultimately provide a user-friendly interface to encourage distance learning and foster new and innovative approaches to learning and professional training. This paper, exploring the past, present and future of computer graphics and WEB development, presents an overview to the concepts of Web3D focusing of its educational applications.