VEX Robotics Giant Ant Kit by HEXBUG
Sunday, December 14, 2014
When it comes to the hottest toys of the season, you can pretty much guarantee that remote-controlled robots will be among them. This year, VEX Robotics by HEXBUG, the makers of Aquabot 2.0, bring you hands-on play as you construct your very own jumbo-sized robot ant. Drive the robot manually using the remote control or select the autonomous drive mode to send Ant scurrying about all by itself, mimicking real-life movement.
The Ant includes six wheels, dual bump sensors, one on each end, and interlocking gears. Its bump sensors allow the Ant to move away from obstacles in its path. The Ant can even climb over certain obstacles with its large wheels.
There are 64 different programming variations to play with. To program, simply flip a series of switches on the robot’s brain and easily experiment with different modes to determine how it reacts when the sensors are activated.
The Ant kit includes over 150 pieces that snap together and a centralized brain to bring it to life. You will need three AA batteries for the Ant and one 9V battery for the remote. (Batteries not included.)
Assembling VEX Robotics Ant was a fun activity for our family. Though recommended for age 8 and older, both my nine-year-old and my six-year-old contributed to the building of the Ant and thoroughly enjoyed testing him out. Because it contains small parts, be sure to keep it out of reach of children three years old or younger.
This kit is cross-compatible with other VEX Robotics kits and is designed to encourage STEM learning among children. The VEX Robotics Ant kit teaches kids that...
- Motors receive signals from the brain, spinning into action, kicking the wheels into gear.
- Dual sensors from the antenna and tail control the motors after bumping into objects.
- Interlocking gears animate the ant by transferring energy from the motor through the endoskeleton and out to the wheels as they roll into motion.
- The brain is the centralized computer that powers the ant, relaying signals from the remote control and activating the motors and sensors to bring the creature to life!
The VEX Robotics Ant is currently listed at $49.99 on hexbug.com. Good news: they accept PayPal!
Disclosure: Our family received product to help facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.
17 COMMENTS
So neat! Wish there were things like this when I was a kid, thanks for the great review, really helps someone like me with no kids buy for a ton of nieces and nephew's!
ReplyDeleteHexbug makes some pretty impressive stuff! My boy was (and still is) a BIG fan!
ReplyDeleteLooks like fun for the kids!
ReplyDeleteWow, I think just about any guy would love that no matter his age!
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing! My niece and nephew are hooked on hexbug products! (Anne Taylor)
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard the grandkids talk much about this, I guess they have to see it up close
ReplyDeleteok that looks rather amazing
ReplyDeleteMy boys would go crazy for this Ant! :)
ReplyDeleteThe toys these days are amazing! My nephew would love this - but his present is already bought for this year :) (Judy Cowan)
ReplyDeleteThey make some pretty cool things. My son really enjoys Hexbug stuff
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a really cool toy!
ReplyDeleteWe have the little HexBugs but they are nothing like this. Cool!
ReplyDeleteThese are pretty cool, that you can actually build them. Seems the world will be full of engineers in a decade.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very cool HexBug, it's amazing how far technology has come!
ReplyDeletehexbugs are so cool... so many mini engineers in the making
ReplyDeleteVery cool! Lots of fun for kids!
ReplyDeleteI have a grandson whom would love this
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to leave a comment here on Toronto Teacher Mom. Hope you have a great day!