University of Hull
If you have ever wondered what lurks on the seabed but are not too keen on donning a wetsuit, then the University of Hull might just hold the answer.
At this year's BA Festival of Science in Liverpool, the University's Computer Science department unveiled a 3D simulator which enables you to submerge down hundreds of metres below the surface and assume the role of a virtual submarine operator, allowing you to explore underwater sites from the comfort of your own chair.
The simulator has been set up as part of an EU-funded project called VENUS (Virtual Exploration of Underwater Sites) and is the only one of its kind in the world. The VENUS project is exploring sites around Italy, Portugal and France.
Scientists have found that shipwrecks are rapidly eroding and the priceless cargo which they once carried is being looted by some divers. Dr Paul Chapman and his team at the University are creating a detailed map of the seabed to locate these precious artefacts and generate 3D records before the sites disappear forever.
Dr Chapman explains, "Underwater sites such as these offer extraordinary opportunities to archaeologists. Factors such as darkness, low temperatures and a low oxygen rate are all favourable conditions for preservation. The downside is that these sites are continually jeopardised by activities such as deep sea trawling that destroy their surface layer."
The model will be made accessible online, both as an example of digital preservation and for demonstrating new facilities of exploration in a safe, cost-effective environment. The virtual underwater site will provide archaeologists with insight into the data and the general public with simulated dives to shipwrecked sites.
Dr Chapman concludes, "Presenting VENUS in this way allows us to capture the imagination of the general public in a way that could not be achieved using traditional methods of dissemination."
