The article looks back at videos from the World Humanoid Robot Games, focusing on humorous failures rather than the competition’s technological achievements. It argues that crashes and malfunctions made the event especially popular online, while also highlighting the limits of current humanoid-robot control systems.

Examples include sprinting robots colliding with crash pads because they appeared unable to stop effectively, then moving erratically after impact. The piece also mentions a robot struggling during a weightlifting event and contrasts these mishaps with reports of a Chinese robot setting a human 100-metre record, presenting the games as both a robotics showcase and a source of viral entertainment.