Disney Imagineering has filed a patent describing a system that could project characters and animations onto moving smoke, fog, fireworks residue, and clouds. The technology would use cameras to detect the shape and location of floating material, then adjust projected images in real time to fit the changing surface. This approach could allow visuals to follow drifting smoke as it splits or merges, potentially using generative AI for on-the-fly modifications. Disney specifically mentions using leftover smoke after fireworks as a projection surface, enabling shows to continue after the final burst. The patent was published in August 2026 and lists Disney Research Fellow Lanny Smoot as an inventor among others. While patents do not guarantee implementation, this concept represents an exciting evolution of nighttime spectacular technology at Disney parks.
Key Points:
- A newly published Disney patent describes a system that could project characters, animations, and other imagery onto moving smoke, fog, fireworks residue, and even low-lying clouds.
- The patent application was titled ‘Opportunistic Projection Onto Dynamic Light Reflective Material’ and was published on August 20, 2026 after being filed in February 2025.
- The system would use cameras and light sources to detect the size, shape, density, and location of floating material before reshaping the projected image to fit whatever canvas is available.
- Disney specifically describes using leftover smoke after fireworks as a projection surface, potentially allowing a show to continue after the final shell has burst.
- The patent lists Disney Research Fellow Lanny Smoot among its inventors, who has more than 100 patents and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2024.