It was like a low-stakes X Prize for music as musicians, inventors and hobbyists competed against each other in the first annual Guthman Musical Instrument Competition at Georgia Tech for cash prizes of $10,000. More than 60 people applied, and 25 were chosen to show off a stunning variety of musical instruments of their own devising. The judges — Harmonix co-founder Eran Egozy, Georgia Tech professor Parag Chordia and Wired.com’s Eliot Van Buskirk — had to evaluate a diverse field of worthy competitors. Meet the contestants and judge the instruments for yourself. 


Progressive’s Pick: