Cable-driven additive manufacturing system

A cable-driven additive manufacturing system comprising:

• an end effector configured for linear translation within a three-dimensional workspace along an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis;
• an aerial hoist suspending the end effector within the three-dimensional workspace by at least one suspension cable, the aerial hoist having a static position within the three-dimensional workspace whereby the aerial hoist is not translated along the x-axis with the end effector and the aerial hoist is not translated along the y-axis with the end effector;
• an aerial cable winder configured to control linear translation of the end effector along the z-axis;
• a plurality of motion-control base stations disposed below the aerial hoist and configured to control linear translation of the end effector in an x-y plane defined by the x-axis and the y-axis, each motion-control base station comprising a base station cable winder;
• a plurality of motion-control cables, at least one of the plurality of motion-control cables running from each of the base station cable winders to the end effector;
• at least one tension-control base station;
• and
• at least one tension-control cable running from the tension-control base station to the end effector.