Hexbug "Larva" to Tomb-style cybermat mod

penwiper

Well-Known Member
Ever since I saw "Tomb of the Cybermen" as a kid, I've always wanted a cybermat just like that little mini cybermat that Victoria found. Well, it's not "just like" but thanks to the wonderful world of kid's toys, I've finally got one!

If you have kids, you may be aware of the Hexbug line of robotic creatures. They recently released a new type of creature, the Hexbug "Larva", as seen on their website here. My sister instantly recognized its potential and, knowing my well, bought me one for Christmas.

It only needed a few mods. First I spraypainted it silver, being careful to mask off its infrared emitter and sensor. The eyes are rhinestones with a few touches of black paint, the antenna are silver rexlace plus some random beads I had lying around, and the feelers are craft foam with a bit of rub-n-buff. The end result may not be totally screen accurate, but is more than satisfactory.

tomb-cybermat-1.jpg


And the robotic action is delightful - it uses IR to sense and move away from walls and other obstacle! Brief quicktime movie of the 'mat in action here.

A really fun, simple mod!
 
I can't believe this thread has gone unnoticed for this long. That is a brilliant custom Cybermat. It looks the part in every way. Great job on this.

I just wish the Hex Larva was a bit bigger. From your video I got the impression that they around 1.5", is that about right?
 
Thanks! It was a really fun project - so fun that I've just picked up two more Larvae today for modding purposes. I might do some variations; since the Cybermen went through so many changes and we've seen at least 4 different Cybermats onscreen, it's the kind of project you can get creative with. And at $10-15 for the bug and having most of the other materials lying around leftover from other projects, it's a cheap fix!

They're almost exactly 4 inches long from nose to tail, so while they're on the small side for a cybermat, they're not unfeasibly small - while most Cybermats are bigger, the mini-one Victoria found was probably only 5 or 6 inches.
 
This thread is more than 12 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top