See Ingenuity in Action With Our HoloTile Floor Exhibit
Exciting new exhibits are now on display at the National Inventors Hall of Fame® Museum. One of the latest is the HoloTile™ floor exhibit, where you can discover an inspiring new technology co-invented by Hall of Fame Inductee Lanny Smoot.
What Is HoloTile Floor Technology?
The HoloTile floor is the world's first and only multi-person, omni-directional, modular, expandable treadmill floor. With this technology, any number of people can join in a shared virtual reality experience. They can walk any distance, in any direction, without ever walking off the floor’s surface.
By pairing the HoloTile floor with large, surrounding screens, people can design large-scale, immersive games in which multiple players could move in any direction limitlessly, regardless of the size of the space in which the game is played.
This patented technology presents so many new possibilities, even beyond potential virtual reality and gaming applications. For instance, a HoloTile floor could be installed on a theater stage so performers could use it to move and dance in different ways. Even stage props and scenery structures could be made to “magically” move.
When you see our new exhibit, you might just imagine even more ways people could use this emerging technology.
See How a Great Idea Comes to Life
Our HoloTile floor exhibit features both a prototype and a video, inviting you to find out how this technology works.
A prototype is an early model of an invention. Inventors build prototypes to test and improve upon their ideas, allowing them to identify any problems and develop the best possible solutions.
Take a close look at the HoloTile floor prototype at our museum, and you’ll see how the floor is made up of tiles featuring arrays of individual actuators. Each actuator can move anything on its surface in any direction. The tiles can be arranged together in any size or shape, offering limitless options for constructing or expanding upon a moving floor.
When you watch the exhibit video, you’ll see this incredible invention in action! One of its co-inventors, Inductee Lanny Smoot, demonstrates how the floor’s motorized system moves people and props. You’ll be amazed as he shows you how users can keep moving in any direction without ever leaving the floor.
Learn More About Lanny Smoot
Not only did Smoot co-invent the HoloTile floor, but he is also The Walt Disney Company’s most prolific inventor.
Smoot 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, he has earned more than 100 U.S. patents!
To provide memorable, interactive experiences, Smoot developed attractions including “Where’s the Fire?”, which was at EPCOT from 2004 through 2014, and Power City at EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth. He also contributed to some of the first interactive scavenger hunts at Disney Parks, including “Kim Possible: World Showcase Adventure” at EPCOT and “Fortress Explorations” at Tokyo DisneySea.
More recently, Smoot and his team patented the extendable and retractable lightsaber used in the “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser” multi-day, immersive experience – yet another experience made more spectacular and engaging by Smoot’s dedication to innovation.
Visit Us for More Inspiring Experiences
With every visit to the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum, you are sure to find inspiration. Explore more exhibits and plan your visit at invent.org.