I had a dream last night which featured my MakerBot. 1 2 3  I had a dream I was working on my MakerBot in some fashion, I don’t remember how.  Then some neighbor I don’t really have in real life came over.  We talked for a while about something I don’t remember.  A little later we went over to his house and saw his work cart.  It looked like a pretty standard large heavy duty plastic cart.

As I’m looking at the cart I somehow don’t really notice anything that’s on it or how it has been altered.  Then my non-existent neighbor presses down on a large square section of the top shelf of the cart.  It presses in slightly and then I hear a hydraulic hiss as two square shelf sections, about the size of a MakerBot footprint, raise upwards.  He presses down on it again and it lowers.  Think of the pressure applied when using an entertainment center door – you press in, click, it pops out.  Press in, click, it stays closed.

I immediately think, “Wow!  It would be really neat if you could bolt a MakerBot to this hydraulic raising panel, include a power strip, a laptop/netbook and/or a USB cable, spool(s) of plastic, tools, supplies, replacement parts, and little drawers for keeping things in.”  At this point, still before 5am PST, I still think this would be neat.  When not in use, just lower the ‘bot into the cart and roll away. 4

Of course, looking back on this dream through the eyes of mild sleep deprivation5 other ideas come to mind.  Put solar panels on top and roll it outside for greener MakerBot printing.  Power it with a large6 battery.  Attach a motor for mobile MakerBotting and drive the entire MakerBot Cart to 7665 Commerce Way
Eden Prairie, MN and make heckle the guys at Dimension. 78

And, my all time favorite idea:  Attach larger wheels and some kind of suspension to the MakerBot Cart, or at least some kind of suspension to the platform that suspends the MakerBot itself, install solar panels and/or a battery, attach to a bike hitch and a bike, and bike around a MakerFaire printing and giving away stuff.

I think that would be pretty cool.

1. This post was brought to you by insomnia and the Butthole Surfers. [↩]
2. Maybe it was this morning – in which case it was just a few hours ago. [↩]
3. I really shouldn’t be awake right now.  Anyhow. [↩]
4. Not… in… use?  Does not compute. [↩]
5. It’s been a long week.  Six full days so far at least! [↩]
6. Car? [↩]
7. Hey!  Why would I ever want a plastic cartridge when I can have this spooly snaggly mess trailing behind me?  Hey, can you drive and print at the same time?  Hey, I’m having some difficulty with these Skeinforge settings – a little help? [↩]
8. I wouldn’t really do that. [↩]