Hexbug

Key takeaways

Hexbug belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hexbug to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hexbug from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hexbug (stylized as HEXBUG) is a brand of infrared and automaton toys developed and distributed by Spin Master. HEXBUG uses many elements found in BEAM robotics. First piloted in the US through RadioShack, HEXBUG is now sold in most major retail stores. The original HEXBUGs are based on six-legged arthropods but now come in several different varieties. The name "HEXBUG" refers to the six-sided packaging in which it is sold, rather than 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 to develop small-scale robotic products, mostly for The FIRST Robotics Competition. 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, a subsidiary brand of Innovation First International, Inc. that specializes in robotics built in a fashion similar to Erector Sets, and Rack Solutions, which is an engineering firm that specializes in information technology products. However, in 2023, HEXBUG was acquired by Spin Master, and renamed to Hex Bot.Hex Bots, Spin Master, 2025-04-03 Some products of HEXBUG have been sold abroad, such as in Japan by toymaker Bandai. 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, Micro Titans, Mechanicals, HEXMODS, JunkBots, and MoBots series. Additionally, separate products, such as cat toys and board games have been released.

Products Note that the listed HEXBUGs do not include every model ever released, just some of the more important ones.

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".

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 the Fall of 2008 along with the Crab. Despite being called an "Inchworm", this product only resembles the Inchworm in that it inches around; visually, there is no resemblance.

Ant The Ant is a 6-cm (2.3-inches) long micro robotic insect that has front and rear touch sensors that allow it to maneuver around objects in its path, while its wheel legs enable the robotic ant to move around ten times faster than any previous HEXBUG robot. It was released in April 2009.

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, and 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 batteries.

Battle Spider 1.0 The Battle Spider is a variant of the Spider. Equipped with an LED light 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 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 but can shoot and move.

Nano Nitro

A development of the Nano v2 (2013) was 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, allowing the bugs to 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 tube parts are also available, including twisted tubes, funnels, and black holes.

Aquabot A line of miniature robotic fish was released in 2013. Their built-in sensors detect liquid, which activates the caudal fin for propulsion through the water. Available as a fish, jellyfish, wahoo, and seahorse.

VEX Robotics A line of construction sets 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.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hexbug

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hexbug claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hexbug before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hexbug ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hexbug

In research: Hexbug appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hexbug in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hexbug is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics American inventions, Hexapod robots, Robotic insects, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hexbug outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Hexbug in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hexbug means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hexbug out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hexbug in simple terms?

Hexbug (stylized as HEXBUG) is a brand of infrared and automaton toys developed and distributed by Spin Master. HEXBUG uses many elements found in BEAM robotics.

Why does Hexbug matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hexbug?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hexbug.