Wu Lulu was once a farmer with no formal education. He built low-tech robots made out of any scrap he could get his hands on.
It did not always go smoothly. On one occasion, Mr Wu, 50, mistook detonators for batteries, blowing up his house and burning his face.
But after more than two decades, his perseverance paid off.
He entered a TV competition for inventors - winning first prize, which included a cash purse.
His success ended the criticism of his neighbours who thought he should spend more time tending his crops and less time on his contraptions.
And now, Mr Wu has swapped his fields for a factory where he - and his team of 50 employees - design robots to order.
"I'm obsessed by building them," he says.
Spirit of creativity
Mr Wu has designed about 50 robots, which he names after himself.
His most popular model is the Wu 32 - a life-sized robot pulling a rickshaw. It has lips made out of sponge, eyes that roll, and ears that flap.
The robot also speaks, saying: "Hello everyone, Mr Wu is my father."
The creations have brought Mr Wu a degree of fame. He is frequently asked by schools and universities to give lectures.
Wu Lulu's obsession with robots paid off and he now employs 50 people at his factory"Young people nowadays are very interested in robots," he says. "I'm happy to teach them my skills and contribute to the economy."
It is his spirit of creativity that the Chinese authorities want to foster.
They are spending billions of dollars developing the country's hi-tech industries, believing that higher-paid jobs will improve standards of living.
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