How was HEXBUG conceived?                                                                                            *U.S. Timeline - Release dates and product availability vary by country

By leveraging our robotics expertise, we entered the toy industry in 2007 with the launch of the HEXBUG Micro Robotic Creatures product line. HEXBUG was designed to give children a positive experience with robotics at a young age. Our passion for robotics, as demonstrated by our VEX Robotics program, was the main catalyst fueling HEXBUG's inception. Hence, the brand was born! People are drawn to the HEXBUG brand for our products’ fascinating behavior, intelligent bug-like attributes and eye-catching packaging. Some of the products are so animated, they even fool cats, dogs and some humans into thinking they are alive!

Tracing the HEXBUG Lineage

HEXBUG Original
At its launch in 2007, the HEXBUG brand entered the world with the debut of the HEXBUG Original. The Original was simple and easy to manufacture, but it still offered a high level of functionality and visual interest that was derived from exposing the electronic components within each bug. By exposing the mechanics of each bug, we hoped to capture the interest of kids and get them thinking about the science behind the robot. Borrowing visual cues first from industrial robotics as well as from nature, we created five different designs for the HEXBUG Original that would work on the same chassis – improving manufacturing efficiency.

Crab and Inchworm
In 2008, the HEXBUG Original was joined by the launch of the HEXBUG Crab and HEXBUG Inchworm. The HEXBUG Crab was the first micro robotic creature capable of reacting to light in addition to sound, and the HEXBUG Inchworm was the first of its kind to be equipped with a two-channel, IR remote control enabling users to operate multiple bugs with one remote or race two bugs with two remotes.

Ant and Nano
In 2009, we launched the fastest member of the HEXBUG family, the HEXBUG Ant. It was followed by the debut of our tiniest, internationally-recognized bug, known as the HEXBUG Nano. The HEXBUG Nano launched the brand into mass and specialty retailers internationally, while introducing new, self-righting capabilities and showing off its ability to find its way through any maze, big or small.

HEXBUG Nano Habitat Set
In 2010, building upon the success of the HEXBUG Nano unveil, we launched a variety of Habitat Sets for the Nano to traverse, including the original HEXBUG Nano Habitat Set (which subsequently went on to win the Specialty Toy of the Year Award), Bridge Battle, Elevation and Raceway Habitat Sets, and the Nano Starter Set. Each of the sets is customizable and interchangeable with one another, further unleashing kids’ creativity for hours of constructive playtime.

Glow in the Dark and HEXBUG Spider
In 2011, we unveiled the Glow in the Dark HEXBUG Nano product line extension, as well as our largest, mechanical, micro robotic creature, the HEXBUG Spider. 2011 also marked the year that the Toy Industry Association recognized HEXBUG with the Specialty Toy of the Year Award, a further indication that HEXBUG had developed into a globally recognized brand with international popularity and demand from customers, mass retailers, and specialty shops in more than 25 countries worldwide.

HEXBUG Larva and Nano Hive Habitat Set
In the Fall of 2011, we unveiled the creepy, crawling HEXBUG Larva. It is outfitted with an infrared sensor that enables it to detect and avoid objects in its path before ever coming into contact with them. Timed with the launch of the Larva, we continued to expand upon the Habitat Set product line with the launch of the HEXBUG Nano Hive Habitat Set, the first truly portable habitat set that enables Nano architects to customize the design and layout within a HEXBUG Nano Habitat Set.

HEXBUG Scarab
In the run up to 2012, we released the aggressively energetic HEXBUG Scarab. Scarab relies solely on its physical attributes to move around its environment, and can flip from its back to its feet just like the HEXBUG Nano. It is outfitted with 16 gears and one motor that make its legs move faster than any other member of the HEXBUG family. When turned out, Scarab seems too come alive with its random crawling motion and its ability to jump back from an object in its path and travel away in a different direction.

Note: This page will continue to be updated with the launch of new products.

Innovation First International is a privately held corporation. The company is founded on the belief that innovation very early in the design process is necessary to produce simple and elegant designs. Innovation First began producing electronics for unmanned mobile ground robots and is now the industry leader. Innovation First also developed the VEX Robotics Design System, the leading classroom robotics platform, which won the prestigious Best of Innovation Award at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show. VEX Robotics, Inc. (a subsidiary of Innovation First International) is also a leader in the supply of competition and hobby-robotics products. More information is available at www.VEXRobotics.com.

The RackSolutions® division of Innovation First was formed in 1999. Its ability to quickly produce products to meet its customers’ data center, computer server, and rack mounting needs is the primary reason it has earned a reputation for being known as the “Rackmount Problem Solvers”. Working closely with all leading OEMs, RackSolutions® solves problems created by inconsistent rack standards. Custom products and fast design-to-build times have become the cornerstones of RackSolutions' success. RackSolutions products consist of data center racks, rails, shelves, KVMs, accessories and a wide range of custom products.