Chaos Machine (toy)
The original Chaos Machine is an ever-evolving collection of Chaos Toy sets gathered together by Steve Jackson, founder of Steve Jackson Games (SJ Games). Other Chaos Machines have begun to grow (see External Links).
Chaos Machines appear at gaming and science fiction conventions, where attendees are encouraged to create, modify, tune, and improvise new gadgets (stunts) for the rolling-ball construction.
At each siting, the machine is set up as a basic framework by the Machine Wranglers, then participants (Mechanics) begin to build tracks, install ball lifts, add stunts, and generally have a good time learning and problem-solving.
Over time more sets are added, so the machine grows larger with each appearance. Recently, an electronic network has been designed to add ball sensing and counting, event-controlled path switching, lighting effects, and additional sound effects.