Revolutionising the visitor experience: the Cosquer Cave and VDR Médaillon technology

The replica of the Cosquer Cave at the Villa Méditerranée uses VDR Médaillon technology to offer a unique immersive experience: an innovative audio guide, combined with an immersive audio headset and spatialised sound, to explore prehistoric treasures in an interactive and captivating way.

The discovery of the Cosquer Cave

In 1991, Henri Cosquer, a professional diver, made an extraordinary discovery off the coast of Cassis, near Marseille. At 37 metres below the surface of the sea, he found a cave adorned with more than 270 rock paintings dating from 27,000 to 9,000 BC. Because of rising sea levels, the cave is inaccessible to the general public, which led to the creation of a faithful replica to preserve and share this unique heritage.

The replica at the Villa Méditerranée

In 2022, a replica of the Cosquer Cave was completed at the Villa Méditerranée, a modern building located near the sea in Marseille. This project, managed by the company Kleber Rossillon, opened its doors in June 2022. The aim: to highlight the historical and scientific aspects of the cave while offering an immersive and emotional experience, combining modern staging, Médaillon technology and respect for archaeological heritage.

A unique visit with Sycomore's Médaillon

To guide visitors through the replica, an innovative guiding solution was developed: the Médaillon. This compact, lightweight device, worn around the neck and connected to an immersive audio headset, offers a fully automatic, hands-free visit.

On arrival, visitors receive their Médaillons, then descend by lift below sea level. In groups of six, they board small automatic vehicles that carry them through the 300 m² of the cave, for a 40-minute journey into the heart of history.

Spatialised sound for total immersion

Unlike a traditional audio guide, the Médaillon uses closed earphones to isolate the sound and create an immersive environment. The spatialised sound reproduces the natural noises of the cave, the echoes and even the murmur of the waves, plunging visitors into the atmosphere of prehistory. This approach heightens the emotional impact of the visit and helps visitors better understand the conditions in which these works were created.

An ambitious technical deployment

Sycomore supplied 580 Médaillons to the Villa Méditerranée. Synchronisation between the automatic vehicles and the key points of the route relies on 16 infrared zones, which automatically trigger the audio content at the right moment, without interruption or lag, even with large numbers of visitors.

In just three months after its launch, the replica had already welcomed more than 100,000 visitors. Today, this unique cultural site has passed the 1.4 million visitor mark, confirming the lasting appeal of this immersion in prehistoric art — and demonstrating how technology can preserve cultural heritage and share it with the widest possible audience.