News

Touch technology helps customers find the right bed

October 11, 2004

CALGARY, Alberta - SMART Technologies has installed more than 40 interactive overlays at various Kingsdown dealer and retail locations across the United States. SMART's interactive overlays are mounted on plasma displays and bring touch capability to Kingsdown's patented, in-store DormoDiagnostics stations, converting them into interactive kiosks that provide customers and retail staff with an eye-catching and easy-to-use information tool.

The kiosks provide immediate access to relevant information and help customers find the appropriate sleep system for them. For retail staff, the touch control capability makes the kiosks simple to use and easy to incorporate into their daily sales activities. The kiosks range in size from 42 to 60 inches. Staff use them to show multimedia presentations and run Kingsdown's patented body profiling system, DormoDiagnostics.

To activate DormoDiagnostics, staff simply touch the large display. After using the on-screen keyboard to enter a customer's information such as gender, height, age and any pain criteria, the customers lie on a bed that is connected to the kiosk, and the body profiling system selects the best sleep system for them. While the profile is taking place, customers can see a graphical representation of their profile from the bed. After the profile is complete, the sleep system recommendation appears on the display.

"When designing our kiosks, we decided it was important to go big, and SMART's interactive overlays were exactly what we needed in terms of size, functionality and wow factor," says Scott Cecil, assistant vice president of research for Kingsdown. "The retail environment is very competitive and having a high-tech presence in the stores attracts customers, especially in our mall locations where the kiosks are strategically situated near the entrances."

SMART's interactive overlays attach to a plasma display or LCD and transform it into an interactive display. The custom-sized overlay fastens easily and securely to the display and preserves its crisp, bright image. By touching the large interactive surface, users can access and control any computer application or multimedia platform, including the Internet, CD-ROMs and DVDs. SMART's interactive overlays are designed for large, interactive digital signage and self-service kiosks at retail stores, hotels, trade shows, airports, museums, lobbies and other public and semi-public indoor venues. SMART offers interactive overlays for over 17 popular brands of flat-panel displays, in screen sizes ranging from 37 to 63 inches.