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Neufangled Robotics has published plans and specifications for Stringman, a cable-driven robot it says costs $795 and can move a gripper through a room-sized work area. The company reports an average payload of 1.9 kilograms in a specified room setup, but independent performance testing, the full installed cost and broader safety details are not provided in the source material.
Neufangled Robotics is presenting Stringman, an open-source cable-driven robot listed at $795 that uses four ceiling-mounted anchors to move a gripper around a room. The company says the system can carry an average payload of 1.9 kilograms in a 7-by-7-by-3-meter room, offering a different approach from conventional robot arms by suspending the tool from lines rather than mounting it on a fixed base.
Stringman’s four motors control lines running from anchors near the room’s ceiling corners to a gripper. By changing line lengths and tension, the system moves the gripper through the area defined by those anchors. Neufangled says its design targets rooms with floors too cluttered for wheeled or legged robots, including home labs where objects or parts need to move between workstations.
The listed specifications give a maximum payload of up to 2.2 kilograms near the floor and an average of 1.9 kilograms in the stated 7-by-7-by-3-meter configuration. The company reports a traverse speed of about 0.4 meters per second. Those figures are tied to the company’s setup and stated line-tension limit of 28 newtons; they are not independent test results.
The system uses a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W at the gripper and Pi 3A+ computers at the anchors, while a separate computer runs the controller. Neufangled lists 3D-printed structural parts, Wi-Fi connectivity and camera feeds from the anchors and gripper. It says owners can run the interface and AI models on local hardware over a local network, and that mechanical CAD, circuit-board designs and control software are published.
A Different Route to Room-Scale Reach
Stringman’s pitch is that cable suspension can cover a larger work area without a long robotic arm or a mobile base. That could be useful where floor space is obstructed or where a home lab needs to move small components between workcells. The approach also shifts installation demands: users need secure mounting points near the ceiling, clear space for moving lines and a computer to run the controller.
The company compares Stringman with a 0.75-meter serial arm and says its system provides roughly 500 times the work-area volume per dollar at comparable payload capacity. That is a company calculation based on the listed configurations, not an independently verified comparison. The comparison nevertheless highlights the product’s intended trade-off: broad reach and relatively low actuator count in exchange for fixed installation and cables spanning the room.
Publishing the designs may let robotics researchers and hobbyists inspect, modify or reproduce the system rather than relying solely on a closed commercial product. The practical value of that openness will depend on the quality of the documentation, the cost and availability of parts, and how reliably the robot performs outside the testing reported by its maker.
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How the Cable System Works
Unlike a conventional arm, which reaches through a sequence of rigid joints, Stringman positions its gripper by coordinating multiple tensioned lines. The anchors define a four-sided work area, and the gripper can move within that space. Neufangled says the combined lifting force of the motors lets the robot distribute load across the system, with carrying capacity varying by position.
The company lists compatible room dimensions as rooms with an XY diagonal between 3 and 10 meters and heights from 2.3 to 4 meters. Installation involves attaching cleats to wall studs or securing mounts to structural columns, hanging the anchors, connecting the lines and calibrating the system. Neufangled describes calibration as a roughly five-minute, hands-off process; the source does not provide a separate installer’s account.
The product page also says the hardware is open source and OSHWA certified, and points to STL files, a bill of materials, a build guide and code. It reports about 1,000 hours of testing in real homes accumulated so far, without detailing the test protocol, failure rates or independent verification.
“Tension is all you need”
— Neufangled Robotics
Installation, Safety and Testing Gaps
The supplied product information does not establish whether the listed $795 price covers a complete, ready-to-run installation, including every required component, mounting hardware and the separate controller computer. It also does not provide independent verification of payload, speed, coverage or the claimed comparison with a conventional arm.
Safety information is limited. Neufangled says the motors relax when line tension reaches 28 newtons, allowing the lines to be pulled loose, but it does not provide a full hazard analysis, test results for entanglement risks or guidance for use around children and pets. The company says rooms with low-hanging objects in the center may not be suitable; exact clearances and installation-specific risk assessments are not stated.
The page describes local operation as an option and says no data leaves the local network in that mode. It also mentions remote operation through an account-linked service, but the supplied text cuts off during its remote-management description. The extent of data handling, service availability and the terms for remote access are therefore not clear from the material provided.
Builds and Independent Validation
Neufangled’s product materials direct interested users to the published CAD, parts list, build instructions and software. The next practical test will be whether outside builders can reproduce the system at the listed price and achieve similar payload and movement performance in different rooms.
Further reporting would need to establish the complete installed cost, mounting requirements across common building types, reliability over longer periods and safety performance in occupied homes. The company has not provided a dated release schedule or announced an independent evaluation in the supplied material, so broader availability and third-party results remain unclear.
Key Questions
What is Stringman?
Stringman is a cable-driven robot that uses four ceiling-area anchors and a suspended gripper to move objects around a room. Neufangled Robotics lists it as an open-source system.
How much can it carry?
The company lists a payload of up to 2.2 kilograms near the floor and an average of 1.9 kilograms for a 7-by-7-by-3-meter room. These are manufacturer figures, not independently verified results.
Does the listed $795 include installation and a computer?
The source lists Stringman at $795 and says a separate computer runs the controller. It does not clarify whether that price includes every part, mounting hardware, the computer or installation.
Can Stringman run without sending data to the cloud?
Neufangled says the interface and AI models can run on local hardware over a local Wi-Fi network, with no robot data leaving that network in this mode. The product materials also describe optional account-linked remote operation.
What kinds of rooms can use it?
The company lists room heights of 2.3 to 4 meters and an XY diagonal of 3 to 10 meters. Rooms need suitable mounting points and clearance for the lines; the company says central low-hanging objects can make a room unsuitable.
Source: neufangled.com
