Stringman, an $800 open-source room scale gripper robot
- ID
- 42827
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 04 Nov 2026, 12:47 AM
- Fetched
- 04 Nov 2026, 10:55 AM
- Provider
- Hacker News
- Category
- dev-community
- Original URL
- https://neufangled.com/
- Source URL
- https://hnrss.org/best
Summary
- Score
- 6.5
- Created
- 04 Nov 2026, 10:56 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- developersai_agent_usersvibe_coders
What happened
Neufangled Robotics is selling Stringman, an open-source room-scale cable-driven gripper robot for $795, using four ceiling-anchored motors in rooms 3–10 m diagonal and 2.3–4 m high. It lists about 1.9 kg average payload net of a 638 g gripper at a 28 N line tension limit, ~0.4 m/s traverse, local/air-gapped Wi-Fi control, published CAD/PCBs/software, and a Python API plus MCP server for agent workflows.
Why it matters
For builders testing agent-driven physical workflows, $795 plus open CAD/software and an MCP server is a concrete low-cost testbed only if the room has ceiling anchors and tasks stay light: roughly 1.9 kg average payload, an external PC controller, and a 2.4 GHz-only gripper link are real constraints. The text gives no Malaysia/SEA pricing or availability detail, so local adoption needs separate shipping/import and room-fit checks.
Discussion angle
Would you let an MCP server drive a physical robot sharing a room with people, and what concrete safety or permission boundary would you require first given the ceiling lines and ~1.9 kg payload?