Walt Disney Imagineer Lanny Smoot is set to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Disney Parks shared a new video highlighting some of his greatest inventions.
- Smoot is the patent leader, with over 100 patents, at The Walt Disney Company.
- He has developed many special effects, interactive experiences, new ride vehicle and robotic concepts, and other technological advancements for Disney’s theme parks, attractions, resorts hotels and cruise ships, creating magical guest experiences and driving innovation for future attractions.
- In the new video, an off-camera interviewer stops by to congratulate Smoot, the Disney Research Fellow and Imagineer behind mind-blowing special effects like making Madame Leota float inside the Haunted Mansion and the state-of-the art Star Wars lightsabers.
- Smoot will be the first Walt Disney Imagineer and only the second Disney employee to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, with the first being Walt Disney himself.
- Walt was honored posthumously for the multiplane camera.
- The video also features Smoot showing off some impressive new technology: the HoloTile floor.
- The new technology allows a user to walk in any direction while the floor adjusts to keep them in the center.
- The video implies the tech could be used for virtual reality experiences and Smoot mentions performers potentially using the floor for dance routines and other performances.
- Check out the new video below:
More on the National Inventors Hall of Fame Induction:
- The 15 Inductees in the class of 2024 will be honored at “The Greatest Celebration of American Innovation,” held in our nation's capital. Humorist, journalist and podcast host Mo Rocca will serve as emcee for the event.
- May 8: Illumination Ceremony at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum at the USPTO Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, where new Inductees will place their names on illuminated hexagons in the museum’s Gallery of Icons.
- May 9: The 2024 National Inventors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., where the new Inductee class will be honored for its contributions to society during an evening event including a black-tie dinner and ceremony. To learn more about the event, visit https://www.invent.org/induction.
What they’re saying:
- National Inventors Hall of Fame CEO Michael Oister: “For more than 50 years, the National Inventors Hall of Fame has proudly recognized extraordinary creators and innovators. The stories of our class of 2024 — and their world-changing inventions as diverse as cancer treatments, imaging technology, agricultural machinery and the snowmobile — will be incorporated into our children’s invention education programs such as our summer and afterschool programs Camp Invention and Invention Project. These programs tap into innate problem-solving skills of educators and students through high-energy, interactive STEM experiences.”