A VR journey into Cro-Magnon caves where users craft pigments, paint stencils, and connect with early human creativity.
A project by Ekaterina Siling, Koorosh Sabzehzar, Ilya Romanenko, and Dina Idiatullina
3. Semester, 2025
Supervised by Prof. Dr. Frank Gabler and Prof. Philip Hausmeier
Augmented and Virtual Reality Design
Immersive VR Experience in Prehistoric Times
Step into the Cro-Magnon era through a multi-stage virtual reality experience that brings early human creativity to life.
The “Cave Painting VR” project invites users into an engaging narrative centered on human evolution and ancestral empathy. The experience begins in the Entrance Cave, designed to ease users into the VR environment. Here, they become familiar with basic mechanics like teleportation and spatial navigation while soaking in the prehistoric atmosphere.
In the Painting Cave, users engage directly with early creative processes. Using a virtual stone, players craft pigments from raw ingredients, learning through tactile interaction. Once the pigment is formed, their fingers change color—ready to create stencil paintings on the cave walls. This hands-on interaction encourages creative freedom and connects users to the artistic instincts of early humans.
Bringing the Past to Life with Virtual Reality
The Cave Painting Experience culminates in a tribal interaction and dynamic showcase of ancient life.
After expressing themselves on the walls of the painting cave, users light a virtual torch, summoning a Cro-Magnon tribe member. This character not only adds narrative depth but also activates a mesmerizing animation where the stencils come alive—visually narrating moments from prehistoric life.
Guided by the tribe member, users are led to the Showcase Cave, the final space in the experience. Here, they witness the animated cave paintings in motion, providing a rich visual story of survival, community, and human evolution. Inspired by the human evolution exhibit featuring 3D-printed skulls and evolutionary milestones, this project fuses natural history with emotional immersion, sparking curiosity and empathy for our earliest ancestors.
