The Internet as Playground and Factory – Stephanie Rothenberg from Voices from The Internet as Play on Vimeo.
Co-created by Stephanie Rothenberg and Jeff Crouse, “Invisible Threads – Double Happiness Jeans” is a mixed reality performance-installation, which explores the growing intersection between labor, emerging virtual economies and real life commodities through the creation of a designer jeans “sweatshop” in Second Life that manufacturers real world, wearable jeans on-demand.
Using a just-in-time production process, customers in the real world are able to purchase their jeans directly from the manufacturer, Double Happiness. A microphone and web cam connected to a computer creates a live stream of customer orders into the virtual factory. The webcam stream, projected inside the factory enables SL workers to see each customer and hear their order. On the assembly line, the first worker starts the production process that involves loading cotton bales into the Jaquard loom. Once the fabric is made it moves down the assembly line through each machine. Each worker stationed at a machine is responsible for selecting the correct option based on the customer’s order, men’s or women’s size for example. At the end of the production process, the jeans go through the SL to real life “portal” resulting in an output from a large format printer. Customers watch their jean orders being produced in real time in the factory via a computer projection in the physical space. Once in the real world, the jeans made from cotton canvas require simple assembly before being worn.
