Shopping mall store uses Kinect to captivate shoppers

Fahad Al-Riyami

Shopping mall store uses Kinect to captivate shoppers and lead them in to it

It’s not the first time that Kinect was used to put people in a state of awe and make them marvel at the wonders of technology. Kinect’s possibilities are limitless thanks to its flexible SDK, and it can be used in a range of different scenarios in combination with a host of different devices, and in all sorts of industries to create creative new solutions.

As part of the launch of a new flagship store in Australia, the owners wanted something that can captivate potential shoppers and lead them into their store, and they reached out to technology solutions provider Nsquared to come up with something that can do that.

Nsquared came up with a concept that uses a Kinect v2 sensor and 15 widescreen displays to create an interactive wall. When people walked by, Kinect would scan them and create a ‘shadow’ of them on the wall. Seeing their shadows on-screen would grab their attention making them approach the wall. Shoppers would then learn that they could grab virtual aerosol spray cans and that the wall was a canvas that they could paint on, only as they spray, an art piece would be revealed beneath the surface which shoppers would then be encouraged to learn more about at the corner of the wall, which would then encourage them to enter the store.

“The idea, of course, is to promote the client’s technological prowess while cleverly funneling shoppers into the store’s entrance… By providing a fun and interactive activity in front of their store, our client has done more than just capture the attention of passersby – it has actively involved them in a new and memorable experience ” – Neil Roodyn, Founder and Director, Nsquared

The Kinect v2 sensor can recognize and process the actions of up to six users simultaneously, and a sound effect would play when users shake the paint canisters. Since the interactive wall was put up in October last year, a “steady parade of curious users” have been attracted to it. Check out the video above to see the interactive wall in action.