A born-in-Japan competition of low-tech clunky robots is gaining traction in many countries, spreading its motto that "All failures are beautiful."

Hebocon, as the competition is called, encourages young people to come up with their own robot creations.

In May, dozens of people gathered in San Mateo, California, for a Hebocon, which is made up of a series of tournaments. "Hebo" comes from the Japanese adjective heboi, meaning being shoddy. "Con" comes from competition.