Cave Walk

CAVE WALK
Welcome to the hidden world of underground caves. More than 10 visitors can jointly explore a virtual 3D scan of a real underground cave and engage with interactive, science-based stories about the incredible forces and hidden narratives lying deep underground. This social VR experience offers playful education scenarios for adults, families, and schools — all in an effort to innovate the way we experience science communication. Cave Walk invites you into a virtual reality [VR] exhibition. Immersed in a 3D-cave scan, you learn more about our geological heritage.

WHY?
Cave Walk seeks to ignite excitement for caving and earth sciences by unravelling the stories behind caves. It uses multi-player co-location [MUCO] technology in which multiple people can be in the VR simultaneously (seeing the other visitors as avatars). The technology promotes accessibility, catering to individuals with reduced mobility or those who are hesitant to explore caves physically. By unlocking heritage sites remotely, it also benefits conservation and environmental sustainability.

Cave Walk was playtested at the I Love Science Festival 2025 (a science communication event in Brussels). If desired, the VR platform is scalable to different social/cultural settings, such as museums or other public spaces.

CREATIVE EXPLORATIONS
Cave Walk captures the unique feeling of underground exploration, where every angle reveals new wonders. The project aims to showcase caves through 3D- visualisation, enhanced by storytelling and animation. For instance, the VR could animate how rocks are alive: how morphologies come to be, how layers are created through moments of rest and eruptions, or how sponges and shells leave an imprint and fossilise. Cave Walk can also integrate phantastical and educational narratives in
which cave art comes to life to convey archaeological knowledge. The immersive medium of VR is enhanced through the physical sensation of wearing a VR helmet which mirrors a cave helmet. We are currently exploring different caves to integrate in Cave Walk and hope you’d be interested to collaborate.

PARTNERS
Cave Walk is an emerging collaboration between Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Elvira Crois), Phenomenal Viborg (Hannibal Glaser), Nyskaben (Bob Lundgreen), UNESCO Geopark Famenne-Ardenne (Serge Delaby), and Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Sophie Verheyden), open to wider international partnership.