Humanoid robots have reached a new milestone. On August 22, one of the machines competing in the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, China, broke Usain Bolt’s 100-meter world record. The robot completed the race in 9.39 seconds, beating Bolt’s 9.58-second mark set in 2009. Perhaps more impressive, however, is what these advancements could mean for the future of warfare.

Indeed, one robotics expert says Chinese companies could be five to 10 years away from developing humanoid robots for military roles.

Yang Kun, who works for Shanghai-based humanoid robot company AG BOT, told CBS News: “We will use the robots to show the power of a country like China that will ensure no other country would attack. This will prevent war.”

As we’ve seen, humanoid robots are moving from research labs into workplaces, sports arenas, and other parts of daily life. As their ability to walk, run, lift objects, and respond to their surroundings improves, questions about how far the technology could go are also becoming more pressing.

This gallery looks at some of the humanoid robots being developed today, the tasks they can perform, and how their capabilities may shape the next stage of robotics. Click on to learn more.

Developed by Osaka University and MIXI, a Japanese company, this unique performing robot has a powerful artificial neural network to process information and control its actions. Even though it remains stationary on a base, it can lean, move its upper body, and make facial expressions.

With enhanced sensors and an improved vocalization system, the unit can actually sing and perform complex musical pieces. In fact, this advanced creation successfully conducted a live orchestra at a major theater in Tokyo in 2020.

Apollo is built for the kind of work that is physically demanding, repetitive, and often done in busy manufacturing plants and warehouses. The machine is strong enough to lift packages weighing up to 55 lbs (24.9 kg) during its daily routines.

To ensure safety, it features a special impact zone that forces the system to stop moving whenever it senses people or objects passing nearby. The manufacturing company recently partnered with Mercedes-Benz to explore how the robot could automate various manual tasks on car assembly lines.

Read More: China’s humanoid robots could reportedly enter battlefields within 10 years