August was a milestone month if you love watching robots completely eat it

Here at Clanker Watch we’re keeping a vigilant eye on the future as we uneasily enter the Age of Robotics. And there’s never been a month like August of 2026 to keep that eye occupied with videos of robots breaking down, messing up, and in a few cases, straight-up catching on fire.

That’s due to the World Robot Humanoid Games in Beijing, a yearly event where robots compete in sporting events like running, boxing, jumping, weight-lifting, and even the tug of war. As we’ve seen in previous months, robots are prone to falling over and freaking out when they’re doing stuff like moonwalking or, you know, standing perfectly still.