Bright Sparks

We viewed two programs in this innovative educational series aimed at elementary and junior high school students. Using a framing device of an animated brother and sister (Alex and Amy) who have an animated robot friend (Sparky), each program focuses on a particular subject in the general field of science and technology. In Robots, Sparky takes the kids on a world-wide tour to see up close the many types of robots currently in use. An overgrown vacuum cleaner with 39 sensors cleans the floor of the metro in Paris, and carefully "walks" around travelers; a "spider" robot with 16 legs does a nifty spiderman act and scales the sides of natural gas tanks to check for leaks; and a guitar virtuoso plays some beautiful classical guitar with 6 fingers on the right hand, and a few extra on the left (73, actually). Besides the wonders, the program also examines the chief obstacles in robot technology, primarily the supreme difficulty of designing robots which mimic human motor action--a world-class chess playing robot is a snap; an effective fruit-picking robot is a complex beast whose optimum model still lies in the future. In Houses, the trio journey round the world to look at various types of houses: brick veneer (U.S.), semi-detached (U.K.), and computerized (Japan), among others. Both programs were extremely well done, with one exception. The writers have chosen to make Alex and Amy bickering siblings. A little friction would have been natural, but this pair trade insults like Don Rickles and Joan Rivers. It's not the best type of behavior to encourage in small children. This aside, the series is recommended for elementary and junior high schools (Available from: Landmark Films, 3450 Slade Run Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042; 1-800-342-4336.)