Gear

Hexbug’s Boxing’ Bots Are Basically Modern Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots

When one finally gets KO'd, its head doesn't just pop up, it pops clean off. 

by Dave Baldwin
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

Are you prepared for a robot-on-robot punch off? Of course you are. And Hexbug has you covered. The robotics toy company, no stranger to battling bots (they are, after all, the company that offers a line of branded BattleBots), is releasing a new line of boxing robots. The VEX Robotics Boxing Bots by Hexbug are essentially self-balancing Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots on Segway scooters that kids build and battle. What’s not to love?

The battling bots are part of Hexbug’s VEX Robotics line which means that kids get that valuable STEM learning as they create the robots out of snap-together components. Once constructed, the robots — one blue and one red — are controlled using a smartphone app. Instead of bobbing and weaving, they roll on wheels. Said wheels, however, are self-balancing so they’ll never topple over in the middle of a bout.

In terms of fighting, each robot’s arms fully extend a la Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em to punch. To throw a right jab, you’d simply twist the phone/tablet to the right. It’s all pretty straightforward. Even cooler: the health/power of each is registered on screen and diminishes with each landed shot. When one finally gets KO’d, its head doesn’t just pop up, it pops clean off.

The VEX Robotics Boxing Bots by Hexbug are slated to hit shelves this Fall and should cost around $90.

This article was originally published on