3D volumetric video is a technology that can be categorised as a kind of hybrid between scanning 3D objects and environments in the physical world and conventional video as a sequence of images. The applications of this volumetric video technology have a special emphasis in the extended reality medium, and more specifically in the context of virtual and augmented reality. Although the production of content with this technology still presents an enormous degree of complexity, its potential applications in education, training, research and dissemination make it a technology of great interest for establishing lines of research in these contexts. In this article, we analyse the features of this technology and the production process for its applications in these four main areas, with a special emphasis on training and research in the production of innovative content. The emergence and evolution, in the current context, of other technologies such as 3D game engines and gaussian splatting, means that different production processes can be combined to prototype immersive and interactive content with applications in content dissemination and education.

Keywords: Volumetric video, immersive technologies, 3d environments, extended reality, virtual reality.