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Open-source Stringman robot uses cables to move objects around homes
Neufangled Robotics’ Stringman is an open-source robot that uses a claw suspended on cables to collect and move objects around a room. Its approach offers a narrow, practical alternative to humanoid home robots, though the device is still a prototype and its maker says it is not reliable enough to be considered a home appliance.
Four strings run from motorised corner anchors, allowing the claw to travel between the ceiling and floor in rooms up to 10 metres diagonally and 4 metres high. It can carry around 2kg, and demonstrations show it putting away laundry and toys; the listed price is $795. Building one requires three Raspberry Pis, a computer for motion control and other components, while a 28-newton tension limit is designed to release the lines if they are pulled too hard.
In short
- Stringman is a cable-suspended robot claw for household tidying.
- It can carry around 2kg and costs $795.
- The open-source prototype is not yet reliable enough for home use.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A cable-based robot could offer a more practical and affordable way to automate a few repetitive household tasks than a complex humanoid, while its open-source design lets people inspect, adapt and improve it. Its limited lifting capacity and tension-release mechanism may also make it a proportionate approach for light objects, provided development continues to address reliability and safety.
The case against
A prototype that its maker says is not reliable enough to be a home appliance may not yet justify the cost or effort of building and installing it, especially when it requires several computers and components. Moving a claw on tensioned cables through shared living space also raises practical questions about safe operation and everyday usefulness that demonstrations and a release limit alone cannot settle.
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Originally published by The Register as “Turn your home into a giant crane game with this open source robot”.