About

The CGL and the municipality of Engelskirchen team to develop a concept for a virtual reality experience in the planned Engelskirchen Cave Experience Center.

The holistically integrated VR experience gives up to 16 visitors in an area of ~250 m² the chance to slip into the role of cave explorers and experience the Windloch’s natural wonders up close from a unique perspective.

In contrast to conventional VR experiences, the players can move around the room without restriction and cover large distances. Large caves and branching corridors are dynamically generated on the playing surface, which can be discovered together with other players by moving through the real space. Thanks to innovative technical solutions, players can see each other in the virtual space and interact with each other to explore the cave cooperatively. They acquire geological knowledge through play, which they have to use to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles. Due to its intuitive controls, the game appeals to a broad target audience, offering a unique experience for both new and experienced VR players.

The concept involves the exploration and use of innovative technologies and forms. This includes the approaches of “non-Euclidean architecture” and “overlapping spaces”. In this approaches, the virtual corridors are dynamically overlapped, creating the impression of an endlessly accessible virtual cave even though the players are moving through a physically impossible space. Accompanying research will analyze the extent to which visitors forget the real environment around them for the duration of the experience and fully immerse themselves in the virtual world.