Interactive product information display

Hello Everyone I am in need of some assistance for a project I am trying to build to help a friend starting a new business. He is wanting to create a display wall in his new store that is interactive to the the products displayed. Basically he wants to have shelves built around a 42" monitor and display products on the shelves. When a product is picked up, a product data sheet would instantly display on the monitor. I was thinking of maybe using reed switches on the shelves with small magnets attached to the product. My issue is finding software for Windows and a USB/Serial type I/O device that would accomplish this task.

Example - Customer comes in and removes a Scanner Radio from the shelf, poof a data sheet say in a JPG format is instantly displayed on the monitor. Customer places the Scanner Radio back onto the shelf and the monitor pops back to a standard store name/logo image.

Any help on existing hardware/software solutions would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Thank you

Well, the idea looks awesome at first, but it carries some complications. For example when multiple clients are removing products from the shelve at the same time.

Also keep in mind that the user may be overwhelmed by the massive avalanche of data coming every time he / she takes a product, so they become bored and just start ignoring the information.

It would be better if the user asks about an specific product and only then the TV screen gives the information. Instead of the static boring jpg you can project even a short video with the product highlights. It may also work also as a form of advertising to other consumers who involuntarily watch the tv at any given moment.

If you decide to implement that solution a fixed bar code scanner is the way to go.

Just a humble opinion from an Industrial Design student

Thank you! I had not considered some of your complication ideas.