The Titanic sunk in April 1912 on its first-ever voyage, almost 600 kilometres south of Newfoundland. (Associated Press)

A high-tech expedition that hopes to produce startling new images of the wreck of the Titanic is arriving on the scene Wednesday morning.

A team sponsored by RMS Titanic Inc. left St. John's on Monday evening on the research ship Jean Charcot.

Over the next three weeks, the team, which includes oceanographers, technicians and researchers, will use cutting-edge acoustic technology and robotic underwater machinery to scan the entire debris field of where the Titanic sunk in 1912.

The researchers hope to produce 3D maps of a wide area under almost four kilometres of sea.

RMS Titanic is not planning to collect materials from the wreck site, as it has done in previous expeditions. The company plans to use images, maps and other products from this expedition for public sale and through its touring exhibitions.

The team includes specialists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts.

The Titanic sank after striking an iceberg more than 590 kilometres south of Newfoundland. More than 1,500 people were killed after the luxury liner sank to the ocean floor.