Lanny Smoot

Lanny Smoot, is an electrical engineer, inventor, scientist, and theatrical technology creator. With over 100 patents, he is Disney’s most prolific inventor and one of the most prolific Black inventors. He has developed interactive attractions, special effects, new concepts for ride vehicles, and numerous other technological advancements for Disney’s theme parks, attractions, resort hotels and cruise ships, creating magical guest experiences and driving innovation for future attractions.

 

Prior to his move to Disney, Smoot invented some of the first fiber-optic transmission technologies widely used in the Bell Telephone system. Later, he moved to Bellcore, founded following the breakup of the Bell System, where he became the their patent leader and a Bellcore Fellow, their highest technical honor. There, he invented 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. One of his many inventions at Bellcore was the “Electronic Panning Camera” prototype, allowing unlimited users to control their views of a remotely televised site.

 

In 2024, Lanny Smoot, a Disney Research Fellow and longtime member of Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, is being inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

 

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