FOR almost a century she has lain in a dark grave far below the waves of the Atlantic, but now some of the world’s most advanced technology is being used to raise Southampton’s ill-fated liner Titanic once again.

The White Star liner, which sank with the loss of 1,517 lives, is not being disturbed in her final resting place, but high definition, robotic cameras are being used to create a remarkable, 3D, virtual reality version of the ship.

A few minutes of grainy, black and white newsreel film, together with a handful of old photographs, are the only reminders the 21st century has of Titanic as she left Southampton in April, 1912. However, it will not be long until new generations will be able to look and marvel at the liner, once dubbed the “ship of dreams’’.

A team of leading archaeologists, oceanographers and scientists have been brought together to execute this historic “mission of firsts’’ aimed at charting the boundaries of the wreck site, as well as map the physical position of the ship and its artefacts on the ocean floor.

The expedition will also draw up a mass of data needed to develop Titanic in virtual reality and so paint a complete picture of the vessel, which only a few have been able to witness first-hand.

Click to follow the expedition online

Dr Susan Avery, president and director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, USA, whose scientists are working on Titanic, said: “In many ways we are raising Titanic, digitally.

“It is a new dimension in archiving these special wrecks, and I’m just so excited about one day being able to put on some 3D glasses and see the wreck as it is on the bottom of the Atlantic.’’ Armed with revolutionary acoustic imaging, sonar technologies and high resolution optical, video and 3-D equipment, the expedition is undertaking the first comprehensive view of the entire wreck site with unprecedented accuracy and clarity.

Remote-controlled underwater vehicles will enable the expedition team to create the first ever comprehensive and multi-dimensional map of the Titanic wreck site. The robots, with their onboard sensors will provide new and unique views of the famous ship and reveal secrets about her past, present, and future.

In virtually raising Titanic through three-dimensional modelling for the first time, the expedition to the wreck is marking numerous innovations including: n Titanic’s remains will be transformed into an archaeological site with all scientific data available for review and study, including the conditions influencing the wreck’s deterioration, which has critical implications for the ship’s future.

n Micro-organisms collected at the site, and evaluated through advanced technology, may turn out to be distant relatives of those which originally went down with Titanic, so unlocking a wealth of new understanding and information. n The use of high definition and 3D video will produce the clearest images yet of the wreck and its surroundings.

n The expedition will gather critical information to develop new standards in underwater archaeology for maritime heritage site management, especially in the deep sea.

Dr Avery, said: “It could be that there are some new ecosystems living on Titanic. As a result of this expedition we will understand better how these wrecks decay and how long we have to preserve records of these remains.’’ High seas and severe gales have forced oceanographers to temporarily leave the wreck site and return to Newfoundland but work is set to begin again soon recording thousands of images and hours of video, which will be needed to create Titanic in virtual reality.