Lanny Smoot

Lanny Smoot

Hidden Heroes of History

Dorktales Podcast: Episode 118

A tale of imagination, invention and real-life magic! Lanny Smoot is an Imagineer and electrical engineer with more than 100 patented inventions for Disney theme parks. He’s the mind behind the real-life lightsaber and a floor that makes you feel like you’re moving through other worlds. His inventive spirit started early, inspired by his father and a fascination with the lightbulb. He went from building his own unicycle as a kid to being honored in the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his work with Disney. Lanny brings joy to millions and his journey lights the way for future inventors.

Did You Know?

Lanny Smoot is an inventor, an electrical engineer, and the creator of over 100 inventions. He is one of the most famous inventors in the United States.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1955. Lanny didn’t grow up with a lot of money, but he had a big imagination and a serious love for science. His dad, while not a professional inventor, loved to invent things himself. He would bring home bells, batteries, wires, and lightbulbs, and show Lanny how to use science to ring the bell or make the bulb light up. Lanny was amazed. He often says that the lightbulb lit the way for his entire career.

Lanny became obsessed with anything electric. He would study an object to figure out how it worked, then take it apart and build something new. He was the perfect example of an innovative spirit.

When he was twelve, Lanny saw someone riding a unicycle and really wanted to give it a try. But because his parents didn’t have a lot of money, he didn’t feel right asking for one. So, he decided he would make himself a unicycle. He took a wheel and pedals from the front of a tricycle and hammered a pipe onto the top of the wheel. Then he added a bicycle seat to the top of the pipe. It didn’t ride super well, but that didn’t matter, because after seeing him ride the unicycle he made, his dad decided to buy one for him.

Lanny went on to attend Brooklyn Tech High School, one of the best high schools in New York City, and then Columbia University. After graduating, he worked  at Bell Labs. There, he helped design some of the very first video-on-demand systems 40 years ago. That was the beginning stages of what we now call streaming. 

While at Bell Labs, he also invented the Electronic Panning Camera, which allowed viewers to choose which angle they were looking at on the screen. That invention got him noticed by the Walt Disney Company.

Disney hired Lanny to be an Imagineer, a job that combines imagination and engineering. Lanny likes to describe imagineering as using technology to make people happy. He has been working at Disney for over 25 years and holds the most patents of anyone in Disney history: 106!

Among his many inventions, one favorite is the real-life lightsaber. Inspired by the Star Wars movies, Lanny figured out a way to make a lightsaber that doesn’t hurt anyone. Now people can experience them in Disney parks. 

Another example is the HoloTile Floor. It lets you walk in any direction without actually going anywhere. With a VR headset, you could feel like you’re walking through a jungle or a castle, but when you take it off, you’re still standing in the same spot. Even if many people are using it at once, each person can walk their own way without bumping into anyone.

Lanny’s inventions bring joy, but he has also opened doors. He often says he never saw another Black engineer until he was about to become one. His father was a great inspiration, showing him what was possible even without official recognition.

One of Lanny’s biggest achievements was being inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He was the second Disney employee ever to receive this honor. The first was Walt Disney himself.