Create a Working ‘Gramophone’ Player for Kids With This Open-Source Project

The Gramik, created by designer Jiří Kupka, is a five-button device that runs on a Raspberry Pi Pico and leverages an RFID reader to play your child’s favorite music.

When Jiří Kupka’s young daughter showed an interest in music, he did what any designer would do: created an open-source project that allows her to play her favorite songs. Any designer would do that – right?

The Gramik is built on a Raspberry Pi Pico and leverages an RFID reader to play music from “gramophone discs”, which resemble tiny vinyl records. Five buttons on the Gramik itself correspond to songs on a playlist or folder, allowing the user to switch between them at will.

All the assets and instructions you’ll need to create a Gramik of your own are available on Github. You’ll need passing knowledge of CircuitPython, as well as the ability to use a 3D printer to create both the discs and the casing of the Gramik itself.

In all, the device is an innovative showcase of how technology – and especially open-source technology – can be put to functional and educational use. That’s music we – and, of course, Kupka’s daughter – can dance to.

“She intuitively figured out how Gramík works and could play her favorite children’s songs by herself,” Kupka says on their GitHub project page. “I think she enjoys it.”

Check out the Gramik’s Github page for more details.