Storytime is a 1992 Taylor-Dunn gas-powered utility cart, completely modified to appear as a glowing Tiffany's Banker's lamp, illuminating a stack of two hardcover books. The modifications are built onto the underlying chassis of the cart, with the standard diamond-plate cart body removed, and the tires mostly obscured. The mutant vehicle has three major components: the book chassis, the lamp pillar, and the lamp shade.
The book chassis was created by removing the cart body, reducing weight dramatically. The book frames are made of steel angle bolted onto the underlying frame to create the basic platform for the vehicle. The bottom book spans below the cart frame, concealing the tires. The book surfaces are enclosed in 3/4" plywood, upholstered with marine vinyl pseudoleather. The upper book is 1' less wide than the lower, providing a 6" step surrounding the car to get on to the platform and so that riders can safely sit facing outward. The book 'pages' are made of translucent corrugated plastic, backed by controllable LED strips to provide an internal glow. The spine of the top book has a similarly backlit cutout, in the block letters 'STORYTIME'. The driving compartment is inset into the books, providing access to the original driving controls. The driver retains all-around visibility over the books. Sections of the top book cover are hinged and lift to reveal storage lockers beneath, for MV operations tools, safety equipment, and interactivity supplies.
The lamp pillar is constructed from welded angle steel and bolts to the main frame so that it can be removed for transport. The pillar is painted bronze to mimic the look of classic banker's lamps, and lit with warm white LEDs internally to create the same effect at night. The pillar connects to a tube steel pipe at the top, through another mounting plate, which holds the lampshade.
The lamp shade is manufactured from box aluminum, with a rectangular bottom frame and three bent tubes creating the contours of a banker's lamp shade. The frame supports a sandwich of translucent acrylic, inlaid with 5100 controllable RGB LEDs. The LEDs are controlled by a weathertight control box mounted at the rear of the lampshade. The outer acrylic is overlaid with a black stencil separating the acrylic shell into stained glass sections.
The overall effect is that of a stained glass lampshade, radically illuminated and visible from on or outside the car, where the pattern slowly changes over time. When the lights are off during the day, the lampshade appears as stained-glass white.
Forward-facing white LED driving lights are installed at the front of the vehicle, and red driving and brake lights are mounted under the bottom book at the rear. The lampshade contains a small sound system that plays music for the vehicle occupants.
Overall, the base provides a sturdy platform for participants to sit and ride while concealing almost all of the base vehicle, while the pillar and lampshade provide an eye-catching, radically illuminated spectacle.