Remote-controlled cars, trucks and helicopters are common these days. Insects, on the other hand, are relatively new on the scene.
Hexbug Scarab XL and Spider XL ($40 each, from www.hexbug.com) are big brother editions of their tiny button-cell counterparts, with many more features. Powered by AA batteries, the robots come in your choice of colors of translucent plastic, allowing you to see the fascinating gear-driven mechanics of each of the legs, as they work in concert to create forward motion.
Of the two, the spider is the more sophisticated, with a LED eye on a head that turns 360 degrees like a gun turret, allowing it to move in a complete circle. But the faster Scarab can pop from its back to its feet if it is place d upside down.
The remote control, powered by a single nine-volt battery, makes steering easy. It offers three forward moving speeds (slow, medium and fast) and one reverse speed, and two channels, allowing multiple bugs to be operated independently or at the same time. Both are in stores now, in case you want to infest your Halloween decorations.
