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An interactive touch screen system developed by IBM is attracting thousands of shoppers by bringing 21st century technology to the Bay's Victorian-themed Christmas display window in Toronto.

This year, it's not only the animated Santa, his elves and the quaint old town images that are causing a big line up in front of the chains flagship store - it's the opportunity to be part of the whole scenery.

Combining an overhead projector, a rotating mirror, camera and special software, IBM's Everywhere Interactive Display (EID) projector system enables shoppers to use the store window as a touch screen control panel to take their own picture. A special software application projects the captured image onto a panel in the other side of the window. Shoppers can then print a photo that shows them as part of the display scene.

Shoppers can choose to send the image to someone via e-mail or get a free print from the bay. "So that's what the line up is all about. That's very smart," said Faye Narciso, a Christmas rush shopper.

"I think I'll go in and buy my husband some socks," she said as she headed into the store.

The Bay does not have any figures showing how much the system has contributed to boosting the ranks of its Holiday shoppers, but representatives said the windows were "very popular."

Holiday windows are traditional crowd pleasers and attention getters for most department chains. The Bay has been creating such displays that appeal to viewers' sense of nostalgia and warm feelings since 1914, but this is a new twist.

"It a whole new take of being outside looking in," said Jane Smyth, associate partner in the distribution section of IBM's Global Business Service.

She said the computer company's EID project aims to develop systems that transform into a touch screen surfaces. Basically the system uses a projector to create an image on a surface and a camera to recognize user interaction with the projected display.

The technology has huge marketing and workplace deployment potential, according to IBM.

The EID system can be ideal substitutes for monitors and kiosk in many scenarios but it appears to be a very effective as a marketing tool in the retail environment said Smyth. "There's a lot of competition out there. Being able to engage the customer in a very imaginative and interactive manner is a definite advantage."

In the BlueSpace project, EID was used to create computerized touch screen surfaces for controlling lighting and temperature in the workspace. In the Next Generation Store project for the METRO Group Future store in Reinberg, Germany, the technology is being used to create interactive signage on floors, walls and store fronts. The signs on the floor lead customers to the precise location of the wine they have chosen on an online kiosk.

A major emphasis of the EID is to avoid "wiring" the surfaces with monitors and other sensing devices and to stay away from requiring users to wear cumbersome gadgets such as graphic goggles of mobile devices.

"Everything is done by projection and vision processing: light in, light out," said Smyth.

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