1886-1954

American photographer who invented Cinerama. Waller gained technical skills at his father's Brooklyn, New York, photography studio. Securing fifty patents, Waller initiated peripheral audiovisual presentation methods that enhanced movie viewers' depth perception. Cinerama consisted of three projectors and a concave screen with plastic strips that absorbed reflected light while a sound system surrounded the audience. Waller won a 1954 Academy Award for this invention. His techniques were applied to flight simulators, computer games, and virtual reality processes.