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Creators Unfolding to Success #45. Lanny Smoot (1955-).

Lanny S. Smoot was born in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Brooklyn Technical High School. Smoot became fascinated with invention during his childhood. His father once brought home a battery, an electric bell, and a light bulb, and wired them together so that the bell would ring and the bulb would light. From then on, Smoot learned all he could about science and engineering. Smoot’s childhood STEM role models were from Star Trek (Uthura) and Mission: Impossible (Barney). Smoot has described himself as “continuously curious” and that his parents had absolute confidence in him and gavehim the freedom to follow his curiosity. He developed the desire to invent, as well as the drive to contribute, both due to his family and the world around him.

Smoot next attended Columbia University, supported by a Bell Labs Engineering Scholarship, and received his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Smoot began working at Bell Communications Research (Bellcore), and completed his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at Columbia while working at Bell. While at Bell, in addition to developing video-on-demand, Smoot developed the first high-quality, large-screen video teleconferencing system, the “VideoWindow,” which ultimately was showcased at the Smithsonian Institution’s “Information Age” exhibit. Smoot also holds patents on some of the first video streaming systems, and other video and fibre-optic technology, including the “Electronic Panning Camera” prototype, which allowed an unlimited number of users to control their individual views of a remotely televised site. He envisioned a future where anyone could broadcast video, not unlike today’s ability to livestream. Smoot became Bellcore’s patent leader and a Bellcore Fellow, the company’s highest honor.
Smoot continued working at Bell for two decades, and then moved to Disney, where he is currently a Disney Research Fellow. At Disney, Smoot’s accomplishments include the drive system for the Star Wars BB-8 droid, interactive zoetropes for facial animation of objects, eye imaging for superhero masks and helmets, “Where’s the Fire?” at Innoventions (Epcot), virtual interactive koi ponds in Hong Kong Disneyland, Fortress Explorations at Tokyo DisneySea, Power City in Spaceship Earth at Epcot, and lightsabers for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience. Other patented inventions include new ride technology and glassless 3D displays. To encourage repeat visits to theme parks, Smoot helped develop technologies for some of the first interactive scavenger hunts at Disney Parks, including “Kim Posssible: World Showcase Adventure.” Smoot and his team also patented an improved, realistic, extendable, and retractable lightsaber that mimics movie special effects, and another that enables theme park guests to battle a training droid and deflect laser blasts just as in the Star Wars movies.

Smoot is the first Disney inventor to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (in 2024) after Walt Disney himself. Other recognitions throughout Smoot’s career have been:

  • 1973 – National Achievement Scholarship Award;
  • 1987 – Most Promising Engineering Award at the first Black Engineer of the Year Awards (“BEYA”), for significant contributions to the fields of optical communications and broadband networks;
  • 1996 – New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame Inventor of the Year;
  • 2008 – Themed Entertainment Association Thea Awards for Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (Disneyland, Anaheim), and Kim Possible World Showcase Playtest, Epcot, Florida;
  • 2017 – Themed Entertainment Association Thea Award for “Ghost Post – Recognized for this ‘beyond the berm’ experience inspired by the Haunted Mansion attraction”;
  • 2020 – Themed Entertainment Association TEA Master (Theatrical Technology): “From Madama Leota’s levitating crystal ball…to special effects for Kim Possible’s park-wide scavenger hunts…to Luke Skywalker’s glowing lightsaber…Lanny Smoot has created some of the most magical special effects and technical achievements for Disney’s theme parks and resorts worldwide.”;
  • 2022 – United States Patent and Trademark Office Inventor of the Month;
  • 2022 – Featured in National Inventors Hall of Fame exhibit on “Breaking Barriers: Honoring Extraordinary Black Inventors.”
Smoot plans to keep inventing, and he supports greater diversity and collaboration among innovators. “I chose technology myself, but I believe that every person has a special talent, sometimes multiple talents, and I would love to see a world that exposes more life choices to all people so that their natural talents can bloom.”