Hunt for treasure in a SimSubmarine

Now you can become a submarine captain without the hassles of having a crew, joining the navy or even learning to swim. Researchers in the computer science department at the University of Hull have made a 3D submarine simulator that lets you hunt for treasure in southern Europe without leaving the UK.

There are loads of shipwrecks off the coast of Italy, France and Portugal, and they offer some fascinating dives. Unfortunately the shipwreck sites are threatened – the ships themselves are eroding and some divers like to nick their lost cargo. The team from Hull are aiming to preserve the shipwreck sites as they are now, so that people can continue to explore them in years to come.

If you want to try out the simulator it’s going to be set up at the Deep Aquarium in Hull, but you can even captain the sub without leaving your computer. From summer 2009 there will be an online version – check back here for a link when it's up and running.