Disney Imagineer among the 2024 Inventors Hall of Fame inductees
Last night at the Walt Disney Imagineering campus in Glendale, Calif., 15 innovators were honored as the National Inventors Hall of Fame 2024 Inductees, including Disney Imagineer Lanny Smoot. We were invited to attend the ceremony, followed by an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Imagineering’s Research and Development department (AKA the “top secret” labs where Disney magic is invented).
With inventions ranging from cancer treatments to themed special effects, the 2024 inductees join the ranks of The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF), which, in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), is “dedicated to recognizing inventors and invention, promoting creativity, and advancing the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship.”
“Innovation has been part of our DNA since the very beginning, along with a passion for immersive storytelling that makes emotional connections with our audiences around the world,” said Walt Disney Imagineering Chief Creative Officer Bruce Vaughn. “Walt Disney himself was quite an innovator. Besides creating the first cartoon short with synchronized sound, he and his team invented a device that infused depth and dimension to animation back in the 1930s – the multi plane camera – [which] earned Walt one of his first patents and his induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.”
Meet Disney Imagineer and National Inventors Hall of Fame 2024 Inductee, Lanny Smoot
Among the inventors who will be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame this year is Engineer and Disney Imagineer Lanny Smoot.
In his 25 years at the Walt Disney Company, Lanny has developed interactive and technological advancements for Disney theme parks, attractions, hotels, and cruise ships, including the jaw-dropping realistic expandable/extendable lightsabers that debuted in 2021 with Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, as well as Galactic Starcruiser’s interactive lightsaber experience that allowed guests to battle a training droid and deflect laser blasts just like Luke Skywalker.
“When I learned I was being honored in this way, I said ‘Oh my goodness, I’m the first person at the Walt Disney Company to be inducted in the National Inventors Hall of Fame,” Lanny said during the introduction ceremony. “Later on, someone said, ‘No you’re the second. The first one was Walter Elias Disney.’”
Lanny’s latest project is an omni-moving “HoloTile Floor,” a technology he demonstrated during the behind-the-scenes R&D tour. The floor can sense where people are walking and make real-time adjustments.
It can also help guests channel their inner Jedi and harness the force by moving objects (and, in this case, Lanny) with just a wave of the hand.
Check out some of Lanny’s inventions (including the HoloTile Floor) here:
In addition to learning about the HoloTile Floor from Lanny himself, we got up close and personal with the trio of adorable droids that were “play tested” last year in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.
We also met the “surprise guest” who interrupted Disney Parks and Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro’s presentation at the grand opening for Zootopia at Shanghai Disney Resort, an animatronic Duke Weaselton.
The Imagineers behind these amazing innovations explained how they combine technological advances and imagination to create interactive “robots” with personalities and behaviors that immerse guests in Disney magic.
“Being an Imagineer is using technology in service of making people happy,” Lanny said. “That’s the world’s greatest job.”
The National Inventors Hall of Fame Class of 2024
The National Inventors Hall of Fame class of 2024 includes nine living inventors and six who received the honor posthumously.
- James Allison – Inducted for Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy, which brought immunotherapy into mainstream medicine as an effective treatment for cancer.
- Shankar Balasubramanian and David Klenerman were inducted forSequencing-by-Synthesis (SBS), a next-generation DNA sequencing method that made efficient, low-cost, and large-scale genome sequencing possible.
- Eric Betzig and Harald Hess – Inducted for Photoactivated Localization Microscopy (PALM), a super-resolution imaging technology that enables scientists to distinguish individual molecules and study biological structures and processes with unprecedented resolution.
- Andrea Goldsmith – Inducted for Adaptive Beamforming for Multi-Antenna Wi-Fi, which has shaped the performance of wireless networking and enabled fast, reliable wireless service worldwide.
- Asad Madni – Inducted for MEMS Gyroscope for Aerospace and Automotive Safety for aerospace and automotive safety.
- Lanny Smoot – Inducted for Theatrical Technologies and Special Effects for Disney’s theme parks, attractions, hotels, and cruise ships, creating magical guest experiences and driving innovation for future attractions.
- Xiaowei Zhuang – Inducted for Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy(STORM), a widely used super-resolution imaging method that produces images with higher resolution to investigate biological systems and processes.
- Joseph-Armand Bombardier (Posthumous) – Inducted for the Snowmobile, which set industry standards and launched snowmobiling as a sport and recreational activity.
- George Washington Murray (Posthumous) – Inducted for Agricultural Machinery, designed to accelerate planting and harvesting processes. He also served in the U.S. Congress and advocated for greater recognition of his fellow Black inventors.
- Mary Florence Potts (Posthumous) – Inducted for the Cold-Handle Sad Iron, widely commercialized as an easier and safer solution for ironing clothing and linens.
- Alice Stoll (Posthumous) – Inducted for Fire-Resistant Fibers and Fabrics, which made it possible to rate materials by their ability to protect from thermal burns and demonstrated that fabric could be constructed with fire-resistant fibers.
- Jokichi Takamine (Posthumous) – Inducted for Adrenaline (also known as epinephrine), widely used to treat anaphylaxis and cardiac arrest.
- Ralph Teetor (Posthumous) – Inducted for Cruise Control technology, which has become a standard automotive feature providing greater ease in driving, safety, and fuel efficiency.
“Every year, I am impressed and inspired by the accomplishments of the newest Inductees in the National Inventors Hall of Fame,” said Kathi Vidal, under secretary of commerce for Intellectual Property and director of the USPTO. “We are proud to honor these world-changing inventors in the class of 2024, who show us the power of turning ideas into realities […] to make a positive impact on our society and our future.”
Click here for full biographies of each 2024 inductee.
“The Greatest Celebration of American Innovation”
The 15 Inductees in the class of 2024 will be honored at “The Greatest Celebration of American Innovation,” held in Washington, D.C. Click here to learn more about the event.
- May 8, 2024 – Illumination Ceremony at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum in Alexandria, Vir., where new inductees will place their names on illuminated hexagons in the museum’s Gallery of Icons.
- May 9, 2024 – The 2024 National Inventors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., where the new class will be honored for its contributions during a black-tie dinner and ceremony.
Click here for more information about the National Inventors Hall of Fame. To nominate an inventor for induction, visit invent.org/nominate.
