Background
The Necoverse project — a Business Finland-funded initiative within Meyer Turku's NEcOLEAP locomotive ecosystem — was established to develop next-generation training, design, and operational environments for the shipbuilding industry using industrial metaverse technologies. The two-year, €5.5 million project brought together Turku University of Applied Sciences (Turku UAS), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and industry partners including Meyer Turku, DIMECC, Kiwa Inspecta, and Lingsoft.
The Deployment
The change management pilot case addresses a persistent challenge in prototype vessel construction: late-stage design deviations that require costly corrections and must be accurately reflected in design data for subsequent vessels in a series. The solution is a customised industrial multi-user metaverse environment built on an immersive platform developed at Turku UAS and commercialised by ProVerse Interactive Oy.
Deployed across two facilities — the Turku UAS FIT Lab in Turku and VTT premises in Espoo — the system ran as a pilot from 2023 to 2025.
How It Works
LiDAR scanners generate dense point cloud datasets of as-built vessel sections. Users join a shared VR session where different layers of the 3D model can be overlaid with the point cloud scan, enabling direct visual comparison of the planned design against actual construction. Discrepancies, errors, and deviations can be identified in real time within the immersive environment.
Participants can take in-session screenshots and record spoken notes; voice input is automatically transcribed and translated into the reviewer's chosen language, reflecting the multilingual workforce at the Meyer shipyard. Notes are then shared and reviewed by all participants on a large display following the inspection.
Research Validation
A peer-reviewed usability study published in Future Internet (MDPI, March 2026) evaluated the system using a mixed-methods framework combining perceived usability ratings, NASA-TLX cognitive workload assessment, presence and flow instruments, qualitative interviews, and structured observation. Results indicated smooth navigation, manageable cognitive workload, and meaningful spatial presence supporting focused, task-oriented inspection.
The broader Necoverse system targets a reduction in late-implemented production changes and ensures corrected design data flows forward to subsequent vessels in the build series.
