Disney Imagineer Lanny Smoot Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. From our friends at The Walt Disney Company and D23.
With more than 100 lifetime patents, The Walt Disney Companyโs most prolific inventor, Lanny Smootโthe Disney Research Fellow and Imagineer behind numerous astonishing special effects at Disney parks around the worldโwas inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame last week.
Smoot is the first Disney Imagineer to receive this prestigious recognition and only the second individual from The Walt Disney Company to be inductedโthe first being Walt Disney himself, honored posthumously in 2000 for the multiplane camera.
โI am proud and excited, and at the same time humbled, because this amazing honor has also been bestowed upon the likes of Thomas Edison,โ Smoot says. โBringing it a little closer to home, it was also given to personal heroes of mine, like Jim West, inventor of the electret microphone that we all carry in our cell phones and laptopsโand, bringing it even closer, to Walt Disney himself, whose vision is still the guiding light for all of my colleagues at The Walt Disney Company.โ
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For Smoot, getting to attend the dinner, ceremony, and after party with other luminaries was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. A standout moment โwas to walk across the stage and have the (very heavy) medal bestowed upon me, topping off the event and making it โrealโ in some ways,โ he says. Smoot adds that another highlight โwas that I might become a better role model for young people, especially those who look like me, to consider careers in engineering, the sciences, and invention and have as much fun as I have had in doing so.โ
In choosing which patent to list during his National Inventors Hall of Fame induction, Smoot selected one related to โWhereโs the Fire?โ. The interactive exhibitโwhich was featured in the Innoventions Pavilion at EPCOT for nearly 10 yearsโaimed to educate guests on both fire safety and the importance of fire prevention through engaging challenges.
โโWhereโs the Fire?โโฆ was almost completely based on this single patent, which demonstrates the power of invention!โ Smoot explains. โThe interactive attraction allowed guests and families to use โX-Ray flashlightsโ to see through the walls of faux homes, and to root out safety hazards. It was, of course, entertaining for our guests, but it also contributed towards them having safer lives. The combination of Disney entertainment, and the novel use of cutting-edge technology is always a part of the โDisney difference.’โ
In the past 45 years, Smoot has demonstrated both imagination and skill, working as a theatrical technology creator, inventor, electrical engineer, scientist, and researcher, resulting in an impressive collection of 106 patentsโ74 of which were created during his 25 years at The Walt Disney Company.
Smoot is also the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including three Thea Awards from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) for his work on fan-favorite attractions and experiences, such as Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland Park and Kim Possible: World Showcase Adventure at EPCOT. His expertise in theatrical technology earned him the esteemed title of TEA Master in 2020.
Needless to say, Smootโs inventionsโfrom the state-of-the-art extendable lightsaber used by Disney Live Entertainment to the Magic Playfloor aboard Disney Cruise Lineโs Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy shipsโhave created a multitude of magical moments for guests.
โOne of the mottos of the Imagineers is, โWeย makeย the magic!โ We continuously use our imagination, and our technical skills in service of creating the entertaining, exciting, and often educating attractions that our guests enjoy,โ Smoot says. โBefore coming to Imagineering, I enjoyed a successful career in telecom research [at Bell Labs and later Bellcore in New Jersey], and I valued the freedom to create based on my continuing curiosity about what technology can do.
Imagineering turbocharges that type of freedom and gave me an even wider canvas for my technical skills. Being a Fellow recognizes that I have made significant contributions to the Imagineering mission and that I am trusted to continue in that crusade. Having the title means, โKeep doing what you are doing! We trust you that it will be good!’โ