This InfinityCrane, by German logistics company CeiliX, is a revolutionary object-handling design for workshops, factories and warehouses.

To allow workers to move heavy objects, facilities like these often use gantry cranes or bridge cranes. Those take up a lot of space, and are not suited for spaces interrupted by columns, nor irregularly-shaped rooms. The InfinityCrane, in contrast, is suited to any space because it does not ride along a dedicated track or beam. Instead, a modular system of ceiling rails is installed, adapting to whatever shape the room is.

Along these rails rides a SkyRunner unit…

…equipped with laterally-positioned rollers arranged in the manner of a tank tread:

This allows it to move omnidirectionally:

Fitted with a hoist, it can hold 250kg (551 lbs), which a worker can then effortlessly push through the air.

If heavier capacity is required, multiple SkyRunners can pitch in. And because they can operate independently, they can do things bridge and gantry cranes can't, like rotate and reorient objects in space.

The InfinityCrane is a new invention, having just hit the market this year. CeiliX says they're currently developing a heavier-duty SkyRunner than can handle 500kg.