Robots refer to mechanical equipment thatare designed to work autonomously on behalf of humans. Robots are capable of initiatingpre-programmed actions or work within the parameters of Artificial Intelligence.Robots are normally categorized into industrial robots, service robots andspecial robots. The upstream and midstream portions of the robot supply chainis responsible for providing functional parts, bodies and control systems fordownstream clients.

China has occupied the position of theworld’s largest consumer of robots for 2 consecutive years as the trend of ‘robotsreplacing people’ continues to advance. The Chinese Robot market is projectedto reach a size of USD 8.68 billion by the end of 2019, with average growthrates between 2014 and 2019 reaching 20.9%.

Figure1: Chinese robot market size and projections

The Chinese robot market has entered into aperiod of stable growth, with the applied market for industrial robots holdingthe record of largest in the world for 7 consecutive years. The demandpotential for service robots is massive, with applied scenarios for specialrobots increasing daily. The industrial robot market is currently at a size of USD5.73 billion, while the service robot and special robot markets are respectivelyat a size of USD 2.2 billion and USD 750 million.

Figure2: Market structure for the Chinese robot market

As the market continues to expand, a largenumber of innovative robot companies have been entering the market, with theindustry expected to be further segmented into finer categories down the road.China’s robotics companies can be organized into a 3-tier pyramid, with thefirst tier consisting of companies such as GQ, Siasun Robotics and CITIC HeavyIndustries that are involved in search and rescue, security and firefighting.

The special robot market has beendeveloping at a consistent rate, with all kinds of products appearing on themarket, ranging from earthquake, flooding and general natural disaster reliefrobots. The special robot market is projected to reach a size of USD 750million at a growth rate of 17.7% by the end of 2019 and USD 900 million by theend 2020.