Build-a-bear's new store concept wants you to choose, love, stuff and fluff with high-tech (video)

If little Johnny thought Build-a-Bear had nothing for his tech-savvy toddler sensibilities, he'd better think again. The plush toy-seller has just launched a new high-tech store concept that it hopes will help re-engage children otherwise distracted with tablets, phones and game consoles. The new additions include a 55-inch interactive digital sign out front, with touchscreen and Kinect functionality, complete with unlockable content via barcodes. Once inside, four Samsung SUR40 smart tables loaded with custom software offer a range of different parts of the teddy-making process, as well as interact with the toys in real-time -- like a virtual bubble bath -- thanks to a purpose-built tagging system. The sound side of things also gets a lick of paint, with six audio "zones" created, using ultrasonic speakers that can target sound to specific parts of the store and stop all the collective noise from reverberating like something from a bad dream. The first such shop is already open in St Louis, with five more locations to follow: Pleasanton CA, Annapolis MD, Troy MI, Fairfax VA and Indianapolis IN between October and November.

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Build-a-bear's new store concept wants you to choose, love, stuff and fluff with high-tech (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 06:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.