Hiroshima University will host Hebocon, a robot sumo tournament for people with little technical skill. Participants bring homemade robots that may be clumsy or poorly engineered; unexpected behavior and failures are part of the fun rather than something to hide.

The events are scheduled for December 5, 2026, and February 13, 2027, at Omoshiro Lab in the university's engineering building, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eight teams can enter each event, including participants from outside the university. The first application deadline is November 7, and a basic robot-building workshop is planned ahead of the second event.

The official report from Hebocon 2026, the robot contest for people with low technical skills held on August 29, is now online. It covers this year's matches and machines, including a robot that scatters candy like caltrops and a robot-bowling exhibition in which 16 eliminated machines run at once.

This year's event also featured HEBO-GPT, a dog-shaped toy connected to AI, while teams of children made a strong showing. The report includes award winners and many of the strange moments from the event in photos and videos.

The 2026 Tokyo edition of Hebocon, a robot contest specifically for people with low technical skills, was held on August 29. Homemade robots battle on a small sumo-style ring, but using technology that is too sophisticated can earn a High-Tech Penalty. Sankei reported on the event on September 6, highlighting the awkward machines, unusual performances and enthusiastic crowd.