About us

Company Background

Company Background

VOTANIC Limited is a technology start-up with vision in research and development of cutting-edge technology in virtual reality (VR) providing support to different communities and VR users. Founded in 2017 by a group of researchers and industrialists, VOTANIC originates from The University of Hong Kong’s decades-long research in virtual reality systems led by Dr. Henry Lau, who co-founded VOTANIC.’s subsidiary – HACTIS Limited – through the government’s TSSSU@HKU scheme in 2015.

Throughout the years, VOTANIC’s expertise in immersive VR technology and strong root in research-based innovation have bred numerous effective and cost saving solutions for Hong Kong Airport, port container terminals, government departments and institutions to upgrade their efficiency in business development, operations and enterprising training.

Team

    • Erik Chan

      Director

      Mr Chan is an industrialist with over two decades of experience in leading an engineering team in manufacturing high tech toys and premier housewares. Over the years, he has successfully built a strong designing and production engineering team that can provide quality services and advice to customers whether in OEM or ODM bases. Mr. Chan holds a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1989 from Sunderland Polytechnic University and a MSc in Precision Engineering in 1994 from Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

    • Henry Lau

      Director

      Dr. Lau was the Associate Dean (Innovation) of the Faculty of Engineering and a Honorary Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, The University of Hong Kong. At HKU, Dr. Lau researches in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence, and industrial automation. He leads R&D projects in VR and artificial intelligence and has developed force-reflecting tele-robotics systems and the imseCAVE VR system for interactive visualization.

    • Leith Chan

      Director

      Dr. Chan has been conducting research in Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality since 1995. He received his MMath in Computer Science and PhD in Engineering from the University of Waterloo and The University of Hong Kong. He has been focusing his career in the field of information technology development, especially on VR related technology. His research output, the imseCAVE, has been successfully spin-off from The University of Hong Kong as a commercial product and co-found the HACTIS Limited and VOTANIC Limited.

    • Leslie Chung

      Director

      Mr. Chung Wing Kok, Leslie was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the Pacific Area Director of Atico Limited, a US global purchasing corporation before retirement in 1997 after 23 years services with the corporation. Since his retirement, other than being appointed as member of directors for different companies, he is an active member of Philomathia Foundation Limited which sponsors technology research and development with eminent institutions, University of California, Berkeley, USA; University of Cambridge, UK; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; The University of Hong Kong, etc.

    • Timothy Lau

      Director

      Mr. Lau Cheuk Man, Timothy is an associate member of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants with 30 years of practice in diverse audit, tax, financial and business consulting. After graduation from Hong Kong Polytechnic, he gained extensive professional experience with internship in one of the Big Four international audit firms. Before setting up his own practice in 1990, he was a finance director of an UK based international group. Currently, he and his firm serve most of the international clients as well as certain charity groups and foundations.

  • Tobey Ko

    Head of Research and Development

    Dr. Ko obtained her BEng, BBA, and PhD from the University of Hong Kong. She has researched in virtual reality systems and the application of artificial intelligence methodologies in multimedia systems. Over the past few years, she has worked extensively on large-scale VR system projects and is passionate in developing new technologies to the enrichment of the overall VR experience. Her research has published in several of the renowned journals and conferences in the computer science and multimedia fields.

  • William Tam

    Head of Engineering

    Mr. Tam holds a BSc (Hons) in Creative Media from the City University of Hong Kong. He has over 8 years of experience in VR system design and immersive interactive content development for the imseCAVE and has been a key contributor in many of the highly praised VR-based professional training systems for a number of respectable organizations.

VOTANIC'S VR Milestone

  • 1998

    Start research of the imseCAVE Virtual Reality System at The University of Hong Kong

  • 2002

    First prototype of the imseCAVE system installed at the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, the University of Hong Kong

  • 2003

    First generation of imseCAVE developed along with the first imseCAVE application, Quay Crane Simulator, for container terminal operator training

  • 2005

    imseCAVE installed at the Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Logistics Engineering and Simulation of Tsinghua University

  • 2009

    New generation of imseCAVE integrated with optical motion tracking system

  • 2011

    Invention of MagicPad 3D user interface for imseCAVE

  • 2012

    Improved compact design of imseCAVE system with ultra short throw 3D projectors

  • 2015

    Next generation of imseCAVE with large screens and mobility design

    First public show of imseCAVE at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

    ICT Best Digital Entertainment (Interaction Design) Silver Award

    Established HACTIS through government’s TSSSU@HKU scheme with a vision to build a VR community

  • 2017

    Founded VOTANIC Limited with vision in research and development of cutting-edge technology in virtual reality (VR) providing support to different communities and VR users

    Introduction of imseDOME 360 degree immersive projection system

    Brandon Hall Excellence Awards 2017 - Gold Award for Best Advance in Unique Learning Technology - VR for Police Training

  • 2018

    Establishment of VOTANIC China office in Zhongshan for the promotion of VR and expansion of VR sales and support in the Greater Bay Region

  • 2019

    Introduction of low cost, high performance vCAVE system