Project: Supply of Orpheo Hybe multimedia guides
Location: Versailles palace (France)
Year: 2022
After 4 years of research and development, we are proud to unveil the Orpheo Hybe. Incorporating smart technology, this versatile device is suitable for different kinds of tourist attractions. The Hybe can be used as an audio guide for self-guided tours as well as a radio system for group visits with its pre-recorded multimedia content. The versatile and innovative solution of choice for the exceptional Château de Versailles.
Visitors are invited to discover this historical site using our brand new multifunctional device, the Orpheo Hybe. Discover the device itself right here!
A French design with 30 years of cultural innovation behind it
The result of many years of research, the design of the Orpheo Hybe had to combine two things: innovative technology and user-friendliness to ensure a high-performance product. For 30 years, Orpheo has been working with cultural and tourist institutions and gathering detailed feedback directly from the public that we have served so closely, which has enabled our teams to continuously improve the usability of our products.
Our engineers designed all the Hybe’s electronic and mechanical features at our R&D centre in Grenoble, as with all of our products. This in-house design gives us control over the entire production chain so we can manufacture a truly high-performance product. The Hybe is both compact and waterproof thanks to a robust casing designed for high volumes of visitors and indoor as well as outdoor use.
Orpheo Hybe: one device, two functions
The new hybrid multimedia guide combines two key product lines at Orpheo:
- it’s an audio guide suitable for self-guided tours with sound as well as video capability plus a high-quality touch screen and integrated map functionality for finding your way around;
- It also has radio technology for group tours with a “push-to-talk” function offering two-way communication so that visitors can ask questions throughout the tour.
The Orpheo Hybe is ideal for self-guided tours and group visits, the one device offering both modes so there’s no need to invest in two separate pieces of equipment. The Hybe’s versatility also means flexibility for the tour guide, who can combine live commentary through the built-in microphone as well as playing pre-recorded media directly to the visitors’ handheld device to elaborate on a point of interest.
The Hybe benefits from the entire Orpheo software ecosystem, including the MyOrpheo Studio CMS for creating and editing the multimedia tour and the Orpheo EMM solution for easy remote management of all devices. The new smart charging station means updating content and collecting usage statistics are simplified.
Over a thousand units already delivered to Versailles
The Château de Versailles has decided to continue its four-year collaboration with Orpheo so it can provide guided tour services to its many tourists. Orpheo is honoured to have been chosen by the prestigious Château de Versailles so it can continue providing innovative cultural solutions, starting with the delivery of more than a thousand Orpheo Hybe devices to step up the existing service!
Orpheo has recorded all audio tours in the 12 available languages of French, English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Ukrainian, Korean, Mandarin, Japanese and Russian, as well as audio description tours for visually impaired visitors. There are also tours in sign language for the deaf and hard of hearing.
As well as supplying the equipment and producing the content, our experienced local staff provide audioguides for visitors of all nationalities. The distribution and collection of the tour devices is automated with the Orpheo D-Box, the connected distribution box that makes selecting the tour language and collecting usage data (such as language, itinerary, feedback) much simpler. Better flexibility and increased efficiency for a very busy venue!
Since 2018, we have been working on improving the visitor experience at the Château de Versailles, something we will continue to do for many years to come.
Here are some extracts from the tour
History of the French kings
Adult tour
Hall of Mirrors
Adult tour