ROMP in a nutshell:

Slowpoke Productions is the proud creator of the Randomly Oscillating Magnetic Pendulum (ROMP)—an addictive "contemplative plaything" that brings the laws of physics to life in an elegant desktop toy.

By combining magnetic force, gravity, and pendulum motion, the ROMP generates an endless variety of unpredictable patterns. It’s a hands-on demonstration of chaos theory that fits right on your desk.

How it works:

• Design the Landscape: You choose where to place the magnets on the base. The complexity of the magnetic field is limited only by your imagination.

• Release the Pendulum: Once your field is set, simply let the pendulum go.

• Watch the Physics: Observe as the pendulum darts, dodges, and weaves through the invisible forces you’ve created.

Gallery

A first-generation handmade ROMP

Magnetic field visualization created in Mathematica 2.2

Original website animated GIF created in ClarisDraw

Original box label
(applied to a 2-piece 1 lb chocolate box)

Hog Wild ROMP instruction manual

Early retail store informative hanger

The History of the ROMP

Origins & Development

The first ROMP was crafted in the early 1990s from wooden birdcage perches, bamboo grilling skewers, and the salvaged shell of a PC. It gained its first admirers in the physics department of Bellevue Community College. The name was coined by the inventor’s spouse for a college writing assignment tasked with explaining a "difficult-to-describe" object.

As the ROMP evolved from a prototype personal project into a marketable physics demonstration tool, the design shifted to prioritize simplicity, durability, and balanced performance. These improved models featured:

• High-performance Grade 8 ceramic magnets.

• A powder-coated, damage-resistant playing surface.

• An educational manual to help users explore the physics of chaos.

Production Timeline

• 1993: The first handmade wooden ROMPs were sold in science and nature stores across the Pacific Northwest.

• 1998: A mass-produced plastic version was manufactured and distributed through an exclusive license with Hog Wild Toys in Oregon.

• 2013: Hog Wild ceased mass production and sales.

• 2020: Slowpoke Productions sold its last original wooden ROMP (a special order assembled from the last full set of original parts).

Availability Today

Currently, there are no original handmade or Hog Wild ROMPs available for purchase. Production ended in 2013 and no backstock remains. While various copies have appeared over the years—often adopting the ROMP name or the signature "bullseye" artwork—the original is a collector's item.

• DIY Enthusiasts: You can learn how to make a portable ROMP out of an Altoids tin.

• Video and Learning Resources: For deeper musings on these mechanisms, check out related demonstrations on YouTube.

The Science: Why it Moves Like That

Despite its seemingly "magical" movement, the ROMP is not a perpetual motion machine as some have surmised. Its high-energy behavior is a result of mechanical efficiency and unexpected forces:

1. Low Friction: The system uses a rigid pendulum and a thin nylon thread pivot to minimize energy loss from air resistance and mechanical energy losses.

2. Complicated Energy Exchange: The ROMP constantly trades between gravitational potential energy, magnetic potential energy, and kinetic energy.

3. Magnetic "wells": Unlike a standard pendulum, which relies only on height and gravity, the ROMP gains speed from the "wells" created by powerful attracting magnets (especially stacked ones) creating the signature energetic and unexpected motions that make the ROMP so captivating.