Computer science and engineering students at the University of Nevada, Reno are developing high-tech programs and simulators to train Navy captains and officers.

Three professors and six graduate students have been working the project for about two years.

This week, Lieutenant Ryan Aleson with the Navy's Surface Warfare Officers School was on campus to review progress.

The simulations are used to train a crew how to handle a ship under certain conditions.

To do that, instructors have to create a realistic environment.

The UNR team is designing "artificial intelligence" to simulate different conditions around San Diego Bay.

So far, the program has cost about two million dollars.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)