Celebrity inventor and YouTube star Joseph Herscher is coming to Tauranga, and creative teams from across New Zealand are invited to help make history!
Your Team. One Mission.
One trigger. A wild sequence of moving parts. One incredible launch. Join STEM Wana Trust and Joseph Herscher for an ambitious attempt to build New Zealand’s most creative chain reaction.
Want to join? Get your team together!
Who is Joseph?
If you haven’t heard of Joseph Herscher, it’s time to pay attention! Also known as the YouTube sensation behind Joseph’s Machines, Joseph is famous for creating comical, elaborate chain reactions from everyday objects. Joseph has over 15 million followers, over a billion video views, and his inventions have appeared on numerous television shows, from Jimmy Kimmel to Sesame Street.
Imagine a machine that wakes you up and gets you ready to leave the house without you having to lift a finger. That’s the kind of wonderfully ridiculous engineering Joseph is known for!
Now, teams from across Aotearoa have the chance to collaborate with Joseph and take that creativity to a whole new level.
Visit the official Joseph’s Machines website.
19 JANUARY 2027
Masonic Park, Tauranga, 3110, Bay of Plenty, NZ
We will be running two sessions throughout the day with 12 teams in each session:
9am-12pm and 2pm-5pm
What exactly is a chain reaction?
The Ultimate Goal
Create one incredible chain reaction that reaches its final destination and triggers a surprise mechanism.
Ever heard of simple machines or Rube Goldberg machines? If not, you’re in the right place!
A chain reaction starts with one simple trigger. That action sets off another, which sets off another, and another, until the entire machine comes to life.
Using balls, blocks, tools, levers and plenty of imagination, teams will work together to connect their creations across 12 different boards. Every movement matters. Every connection counts.
How Does it work?
Three hours. Twelve boards. Countless ways to make something happen.
1. Start with a trigger
One small action kicks off the chain reaction.
2. Build 5 simple machines steps on your board
Work with your teammates with guidance of Joseph to design, test and connect your machines across your board and connect it to the other team’s chain reaction board.
3. Make it count
Bring the whole sequence of 12 boards together and aim for the ultimate finale.
COULD YOUR TEAM MAKE HISTORY?
We’re inviting teams from across New Zealand to put their creativity, problem-solving and teamwork to the test.
CLOSING DATE FOR TEAM ENTRIES – 15 DECEMBER 2026