Between 2010 and 2014, total supply of industrial robots in China increased by about 40 percent per year on average.

"This (China's) rapid development is unique in the history of robotics. There has never been such dynamic rise in such a short period of time in any other market," IFR said in a report.

But still, for every 10,000 employees, there are only 36 robots in China, compared with 478 in South Korea, 292 in Germany and 164 in the United States in 2014.

As the surging labor cost is pushing more enterprises to embrace robots, IFR estimates China will account for more than one-third of the industrial robots installed worldwide in 2018, more than doubling over the next two years-from 262, 900 now to 614,200.

Naturally, the growth prospect offers a golden opportunity for domestic robot manufacturers.

Alpha 2, a half-meter-high humanoid robot built by the Shenzhen-based UBTECH Robotics Corp is displayed at the 17th China High-Tech Fair in Shenzhen.Alpha 2 can demonstrate yoga movements and dance. It can also pass you tools using its "hand". It also boasts features like intelligent voice and communication capability.[Photo/people.com.cn]

In addition to Siasun, the country's largest robot maker by market value, a bunch of new players are getting lured in and many robot makers are upping the ante with ambitious development plans.

"The past two years have seen an explosion of domestic robot makers, partly stimulated by strong policy support," said Luo Jun, chief executive officer of the International Robotics and Intelligent Equipment Industry Alliance, a Beijing-based industry association.

The robot industry is central to the country's Made in China 2025 strategy designed to promote high-end manufacturing.

It is also highlighted in China's new five-year plan, which guides national economic development.

One of the new entrants is HIT Robot Group, which was established in December 2014 with funding from a provincial government and the Harbin Institute of Technology, a Chinese university which was ranked 7th among the best global engineering universities by US News in 2015.

The elite university has done years of cutting-edge research into robots-it is the maker of China's first space robots and lunar vehicle.

For its part, the company is positioned to have a presence in a wide range of areas, from robot components, industrial robots, service robots to automated equipment for nuclear power plants and aerospace industries.

"We have arguably the best robot engineers and researchers in China, which can give us an unparalleled advantage," wrote Han Jiecai, honorary chairman of HIT Robot and vice president of the Harbin Institute of Technology, in a bylined article in the Economic Observer.

But despite the efforts by leading Chinese robot manufacturers to build a premium brand, most players are still locked in low-end competition, experts said.