Is it better to apply to a less prestigeous PhD Program, or do research for a year and reapply? Should I consider applying to mid-tier schools? Or will I have better long-term success by working or doing research for a year and re-applying to top-tier schools? I don't want to be a professor, I just want to be an expert in my field and then do research in industry. How much does the institution you attend actually matter?

Details about my situation:
I am a senior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute currently applying to PhD programs in machine learning and robots. 3.98 GPA, two grad classes, a few research projects with professors, one publication as first author at a tiny workshop, and some solid internship experiences. I am planning to apply to MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Georgia Tech, and CMU. I think I am a competitive applicant, but I also know that those schools are insanely hard to get in to in my field. I'm planning for the event I don't get into one of these top schools.

Clarification:
If I end up taking a year before grad school, I would be doing research at a company (Uber) or getting a research internship at a university lab somewhere (not sure how or where).
Doing research for a year and reapplying would definitely be the better option IMO. Even though it's true that when it comes to performing research, it matters less where you do it, there are certainly undeniable positive effects from getting a degree in a prestigious university - from the peer group you'd be surrounded with to the visibility your work could get later on. After all, the research that you will do during the one year is not going to get wasted. Even if it doesn't get published, it only sharpens your ability to perform research.