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A new computer app will allow anyone to swim with dolphins, sharks and killer whales without getting their feet wet.

Dr Llyr Ap Cenydd of Bangor University’s School of Computer Science has been working on the top secret project with electronic giant Samsung and Oculus to develop the “Ocean Rift” app for the past nine months.

It is expected to launch alongside the new Samsung Gear VR mobile device in the next few months.

Llyr was invited to develop for the device having previously released several game and tech demos on a similar device called the Oculus Rift.

He said Ocean Rift is a Virtual Reality (VR) experience that immerses the user in an underwater world.

The app lets users select from a series of habitats using a touch panel on the side of the device. They can interact with creatures that are animated by a state of the art artificial intelligence system developed specifically for the project, which aims to produce life-like animation and behaviour.

Llyr said: “This project was undertaken in my spare time but it’s related to my research in animation and virtual reality.

“When you wear the headset you are completely immersed in the virtual world.

“The device which looks like a pair of ski-goggles, magnifies the smartphone screen so that it fills the user’s visual field.

“By showing a different image to each eye and tracking where the user is looking, they are made to feel like they have been transported to a new reality.

“We have been demonstrating something similar at our Open Days and during Bangor Science Festival this year and everyone has been amazed by the experience.”

Llyr added Ocean Rift started as an experiment to see how far he could take emerging virtual reality technology to make someone feel like they are underwater.

“The Gear VR version takes things much further – you can swim with a pod of dolphins, stand in a cage surrounded by Great White Sharks and even swim with creatures that are long extinct.

“It’s been an amazing experience working with this cutting edge technology and I can’t wait for people to try it”.

Ocean Rift will be available to download when the Samsung Gear VR launches in early 2015.

Llyr will however be demonstrating the software on the Oculus Rift at the ALIA (artificial life & intelligent agents) symposium being organised by HPC Wales and held at Bangor University next week for those who simply cannot wait to give this new technology a try.