Successful Young Designers Awarded at Maker Faire

GRAMOFOND, in cooperation with the non-profit organization Elixír do škol, organized the “Play the Record” challenge for the second time. The goal of the challenge was to encourage young people to design and build original devices for playing vinyl records while also supporting their interest in technology. Participants were asked to submit a video of a self-made record player capable of playing a vinyl record. By the end of February 2025, we had received videos, photos, and descriptions from 35 participating teams. The expert jury evaluated 26 record players built by younger participants under 15 years and 9 devices created by secondary school students. Among the judges were, as usual, some of our colleagues.

Participants in the older age group were required to use electrical and electronic components for drive and signal amplification. The jury selected three projects from each category that stood out not only for their creativity but also for their high sound quality.

Award Ceremony at Maker Faire

The highlight of this year’s challenge was the announcement of the most awarded teams on May 10, 2025, at the Maker Faire Prague festival, held at the Prague Exhibition Grounds in Holešovice. The award ceremony was hosted by Vladimír Kořen, a well-known moderator of the show Zázraky přírody (Miracles of Nature), who is also a physics teacher at a primary school. Later, he led a panel discussion with six representatives of the awarded teams, who shared their experiences with the project—from the initial idea to the first played tones.

At the exhibition grounds, visitors could see some of the record players live. Those who missed the event in person can watch a video featuring the awarded devices.

The creators of the six most awarded devices received valuable prizes and visited the Loděnice plant where our employees guided them through the record manufacturing process. The special jury prize, a Prusa 3D printer, was awarded to two teams: secondary school students from Stod near Plzeň and pupils from a club in Smilovice near Frýdek-Místek. Both groups used the 3D printer to create a wide range of custom parts for their competition record players.

Visit the virtual gallery of Elixír do škol to find detailed descriptions of the awarded projects.

What’s Next?

This year’s challenge has concluded, but GRAMOFOND is already beginning to plan the next edition for the 2026/2027 school year. We are thrilled to see how participants, through their creative work on these projects, are gaining a better understanding of the basics of mechanics, electrical engineering, and sound technology. This was also highlighted by adult team coaches—both teachers and parents. We sincerely thank all the participants of the “Play the Record” challenge and look forward to seeing you again in two years!