Virtual Reality Systems for Serious Games on the subject of dive simulation

With Virtual Reality (VR) technology maturing and spreading widely in recent years, it is becoming an increasingly useful tool for entertainment and education. Its potential to simulate hard to reach environments and emulate unique experiences believably is of great interest, in particular for recreational and professional diving. Many of the world’s most intriguing archaeological sites are located in the planet’s oceans and are only accessible to experienced divers and underwater archaeologists. VR could provide an immersive way for everyone to enjoy Underwater Cultural Heritage and the sport of diving from their own home or as a museum exhibit. 
This thesis provides a detailed look at VR Systems and their use for Serious Games, focusing on their application for immersive diving simulation. An overview of the field of VR, its current state of the art, and its usefulness in Serious Games is provided as a foundation for the design of our own simulation system. To assess the possibility and challenges of recreating diving in VR, the sport is examined in detail and a gameplay and technological design for an immersive VR diving simulator is proposed. A prototype of the simulator was developed following the suggested design, along with a questionnaire to evaluate its immersion and effectivity as a diver trainer and educational tool.