Where do iPods come from?

Ever wonder where something like your iPod, television, or favorite juice mixer was made? I know the brains over at MIT’s Media Lab do – they have recently launched a new online tool to help answer those questions.

SourceMap is s a platform for researching and sharing the supply chains behind common products tracked on their system. SourceMap was designed to be a collective tool for transparency and sustainability. The intent of the program is to demonstrate the importance of supply chains and the consequences of each part of the chain. SourceMap is set up much like a social network so that anyone from producers to end-users can take part.

Getting Started with Open Supply Chains from Matthew Hockenberry on Vimeo.

The system is built with a list of “parts” that make up a product. Each part has an estimated carbon footprint that contributes to its complete makeup . Each part of a product can include its own photos, tags, and even videos.

SourceMap is still in the early stages as an open-source product and has much room to grow. As you can imagine the concept and design are MIT rated and where and how the project develops could get very interesting.

You can check out the projects home page at sourcemap.org