HEXBUG is a brand of

infrared Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...

and

automaton An automaton (; plural: automata or automatons) is a relatively self-operating machine, or control mechanism designed to automatically follow a sequence of operations, or respond to predetermined instructions.Automaton – Definition and More ...

toys developed and distributed by Innovation First International. HEXBUG uses many elements used in

BEAM robotics BEAM robotics (from biology, electronics, aesthetics and mechanics) is a style of robotics that primarily uses simple analogue circuits, such as comparators, instead of a microprocessor in order to produce an unusually simple design. While not as ...

. First piloted in the US through RadioShack, HEXBUG is now sold in most major retail stores. The original Hexbugs are based on six-legged

arthropod Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and cuticle made of chiti ...

s but now come in several different varieties. The name "HEXBUG" relates to the six-sided packaging it is sold in, rather than to its number of legs.

History

HEXBUG was founded in 2007 in Greenville, Texas, by Innovation First International, Inc., a company that was founded in 1996 developing small-scale robotic products, mostly for

FIRST Robotics Competition FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics competition. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work during a six-week period to build robots capable of competing in that year's game that weig ...

. HEXBUG was designed to expand the company's presence in the retail toy market, as well as add to the experience created by

VEX Robotics VEX Robotics is a robotics program for elementary through university students, and a subset of Innovation First International. The VEX Robotics competitions and programs are managed by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation (RECF). In ...

, a subsidiary brand of Innovation First International, Inc. that specializes in robotics built in a fashion similar to

Erector Set Erector Set (trademark styled as "ERECTOR") was a brand of metal toy construction sets which were originally patented by Alfred Carlton Gilbert and first sold by his company, the Mysto Manufacturing Company of New Haven, Connecticut in 1913. In ...

s, and Rack Solutions, which is an engineering firm that specializes in

information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of Data (computing), data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information te ...

products. Some products of HEXBUG have been sold abroad, such as in Japan by toymaker

Bandai is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...

. The packaging in these international versions differs slightly, as the HEXBUG logo is blue instead of its signature orange and grey appearance, but the products still retain their signature hexagonal packaging. Various product lines have been sold under the HEXBUG name, such as the nano,

BattleBots ''BattleBots'' (logo: Bꓭ)In season 10, the 2020-2021 TV season, the show introduced the "Bꓭ" logo is an American robot combat television series. The show was an adaptation of the British show '' Robot Wars'', in which competitors design and ...

, Micro Titans, HEXMODS, JunkBots, and MoBots series. Additionally, separate products, such as cat toys and board games have been released.

Products

Original

The Original HEXBUG model is a toy that reacts to loud sounds and pressure on its antennae and scurries around the room. Designed after a beetle, it was available in five different shapes and colors: Alpha (orange), Bravo (green), Charlie (blue), Delta (yellow), and Echo (red). The toy debuted in 2007 at RadioShack stores. A similar redesign would be introduced later, fittingly called the "Beetle".

Crab

The Crab was the second HEXBUG mechanical bug. It only moved sideways and reacted to obstacles, light, and sound by reversing direction. It was withdrawn in September 2014, most likely due to a common defect with its back legs. The Crab came in five separate colors: Green, Red, Black, Indigo, and Turquoise. This model debuted in Fall 2008.

Inchworm

The Inchworm was the first IR controlled mechanical bug, which utilized a remote that allowed free motion about its center and inched around with two sets of legs, hence the "inchworm". The Inchworm came in five colors: Green, Red, Indigo, Black, and Plum. The Inchworm also debuted in Fall 2008 along with the Crab. Despite being called an Inchworm, this product only resembles the Inchworm in the fact that it inches around; visually, there is no resemblance.

Beetle (hi-tech Beetle)

The hi-tech HEXBUG Beetle, a micro robotic creature, will travel in a straight line until it hits an object in its path or hears a loud noise. Upon contact or noise, the bug reverses in a half circle, then moves forward in a new direction. Featuring bump sensor feelers, it crawls and senses objects. It is available in multiple colors and comes with two batteries. It is suitable for children eight years of age and older.

Spider

The Spider is a remote-controlled hexapod robot able to change direction by its head rotation. The head presses the leg joints into moving forward in the direction where the head is pointed. It is powered by three replaceable LR44 (AG13)

Button cell A button cell, watch battery, or coin battery is a small single-cell battery shaped as a squat cylinder typically in diameter and high — resembling a button. Stainless steel usually forms the bottom body and positive terminal of the cell; i ...

batteries.

Battle Spider 1.0

The Battle Spider is a variant of the Spider. Equipped with an

LED light An LED lamp or LED light bulb is an electric light that produces light using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED lamps are significantly more energy-efficient than equivalent incandescent lamps and can be significantly more efficient than mos ...

and sensor, it can engage in laser-tag battle. Unlike the standard Spider and the Battle Spider 2.0, the first edition of the Battle Spider can only move forward. It is powered by three replaceable LR44 (AG13) batteries.

Battle Spider 2.0

The Battle Spider 2.0 is a revised edition of the Battle Spider. It can walk backwards like the original Spider and is powered by three replaceable LR44 (AG13) batteries.

Scarab

The Scarab is a fast-moving mechanical robot made to resemble a

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

with six legs. Its movement is autonomous and random, reacting to obstacles with a rapid change in direction. The Scarab automatically will return to its feet if it is upside-down. Internal gears and motors are visible through its translucent shell. It is powered by three replaceable LR44 (AG13) batteries.

Tarantula

The Tarantula is an eight-legged remote-controlled robot resembling the Strandbeast. It can move in all directions as well as rotate.

Battle Tarantula

The Battle Tarantula features the same functions as the

Tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...

but can shoot as well as move.

Nano Nitro

A development of the Nano v2 (2013) released in 2017. These bugs, like their v2 and original counterparts, are also bristlebots. An improvement is that they have five spines on their back rather than the v2's three spines. Another improvement is reduced oscillation. With less oscillation these bugs can move faster. Their spines enable them to climb vertically between two suitably-spaced plates or tube walls. The five spines on their backs enhance their stability compared to the v2, particularly when self-righting from their backs. A variety of clear plastic tube habitats are offered with the toys, ranging from a simple vertical tube for climbing, through to multi-bot habitats in clear plastic, with horizontal arenas linked by curved climbing tubes. Additional

construction set A construction set is a set of standardized pieces that allow for the construction of a variety of different models. The pieces avoid the lead-time of manufacturing custom pieces, and of requiring special training or design time to constr ...

tube parts are also available, including twisted tubes, funnels and black holes.

Aquabot

A line of miniature robotic fish released in 2013. Their built-in sensors detect liquid, which activates the

caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...

for propulsion through the water. Available as a

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

jellyfish Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrell ...

wahoo Wahoo (''Acanthocybium solandri'') is a scombrid fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. It is best known to sports fishermen, as its speed and high-quality flesh makes it a prized and valued game fish. In Hawaii, the wahoo is kn ...

, and

seahorse A seahorse (also written ''sea-horse'' and ''sea horse'') is any of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus ''Hippocampus''. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek (), itself from () meaning "horse" and () meaning "sea monster" or " ...

VEX Robotics

A line of

s for building robots, VEX Robotics kits allow a player to build their own contraptions as well as up-scaled versions of Hexbug products. It is named after the VEX Robotics learning platform developed by Innovation First, which was prominently utilized for STEM education.

Robotic Soccer

These car-like robots play soccer.

Discontinued versions

Larva

The

Larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

was a worm-like robot with an infrared eye which avoided objects in its path. Its battery use, however, was very strong. It was withdrawn in February 2015.

References

External links

Official site
{{Mobile robots American inventions Entertainment robots Toy robots Hexapod robots Robotic animals