High-tech meets horror in Peter Kucherepa's latest Halloween display.

Ever since he moved into the corner house on Lajoie Street nine years ago, the resident of Ottawa's Vanier area has been known to go all out with spooky decorations, costumes and a themed haunted house experience on his front lawn for trick-or-treaters to enjoy.

"Every year it gets a little bit bigger or a little bit more complex," he said. "We had 20 trick-or-treaters when we first started. Now we're over 100."

This year, Kucherepa needs some help bringing his creation to life.

The theme is zombies and Kucherepa's alter ego — the "Beast Master" – says he needs children and adults to come to his yard to reanimate the undead monster.

"[The Beast Master is] asking for people to come and donate their energy to bring his zombie alive. Because the prices of energy are so high these days, he just can't afford electricity," Kucherepa explained wryly.

Kucherepa is using Apple's home automation system to power the project, taking all who dare to enter through a series of activities involving hand movements, switches and voice commands to transfer their energy into the zombie.

Coupled with a fog machine, music, creative lighting and a surprise ending, Kucherepa said he hopes it will delight trick-or-treaters as much as his previous displays.

"Last year the kids were so excited. They kept coming back to my house time and time again so they could go through the interactive experience," he said.

"This year we've really expanded the home automation system to be a lot more complex."

Creating community

While the displays make for a fun project, Kucherepa said they serve a greater purpose — to engage with the neighbourhood children, especially those who are new to the country.

"We live in a transitioning neighbourhood. So a lot of these kids aren't used to either trick-or-treating or aren't used to large decorations," he said.

"[This annual display] gives them a chance to see something different."

Fearless children and families are welcome to drop in at Kucherepa's house for trick-or-treating on Halloween night from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.