Black brilliance!
Legendary inventor Lanny Smoot is making history as the first Disney Imagineer to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall Of Fame
The brilliant mind behind Madame Leota’s floating head inside the Haunted Mansion, state-of-the art Star Wars lightsabers, the Magic Playfloor interactive game experience on the Disney Cruise Line, and much more is only the second person from The Walt Disney Company to be inducted.
The first? Walt Disney, of course, who was honored posthumously for the multiplane camera.
For over 45 years, Lanny has worked as a theatrical technology creator, inventor, electrical engineer, scientist and researcher while racking up over 100 patents.
74 of his patents were created during his 25 years at The Walt Disney Company.
“At Disney Experiences, we’re committed to world-class storytelling, creativity and innovation in everything we do, and Lanny Smoot embodies every one of those ideals,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences.
“As Disney’s most prolific inventor, Lanny continues to amaze all of us with his artistic ingenuity, technical expertise and endless imagination.”
Lanny has been instrumental in creating iconic special effects and technical advancements at our theme parks and experiences around the world.
Source: Disney
When deciding which of his patents to list for his National Inventors Hall of Fame induction, Lanny chose “Where’s the Fire?” at Innoventions previously featured at EPCOT.
This interactive exhibit educated guests on fire safety and the importance of fire prevention through engaging challenges. Guests were able to “shine” a special flashlight on the walls of a house and, through the magic of Lanny’s technology, could spot fire dangers while learning to prevent these from happening in the future.
“As a life-long inventor, I am excited, delighted, and humbled to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame,” he said. “To be included alongside my childhood hero, Thomas Edison, and my lifelong role model, Jim West — the inventor of the electret microphone, is both exciting and humbling.
And as someone who’s had the privilege of working at The Walt Disney Company, it’s especially meaningful to know that Walt Disney himself is also an inductee.”
Lanny is the recipient of many awards and honors, including three Thea Awards from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) for his work on attractions like Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Kim Possible: World Showcase Adventure, and the Ghost Post experience.
His expertise in theatrical technology also earned him the esteemed title of TEA Master in 2020.
Source: Disney
Prior to joining Disney, Lanny completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering at Columbia University. He then worked at Bell Labs and later at Bell Communications Research where he was a pioneering force in the early development of video-on-demand technology, video conferencing, and specialized television systems for remote locations, among other notable patents.
Currently, he’s working on the HoloTile floor–the world’s first, and only, multi-person, omni-directional, modular, expandable, treadmill floor where any number of people can have a shared virtual reality experience and walk an unlimited distance in any direction but never collide or walk off its surface.
Besides the immediate VR and gaming applications and potential theme park uses, the HoloTile floor allows performers to move and dance in new ways or stage props and structures that move around or appear to set themselves up.
Check out a sneak peek at the impressive tech below: