Rajko Tomović

Few scientists from the Balkans have left a global technological legacy as profound as Rajko Tomović. Widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern robotics and rehabilitation engineering, Tomović helped establish entire fields of research decades before they became mainstream. His work ranged from analog and digital computing to robotic prosthetics, exoskeletons, cybernetics, biomedical engineering, and artificial intelligence. He is particularly remembered for creating the world's first multifunctional five-finger robotic hand in 1963, a breakthrough that influenced generations of robotic and prosthetic systems.

Early Life and Education

Rajko Tomović was born on 1 November 1919 in Baja (Hungary). In 1938 he enrolled in electro-mechanical engineering at the University of Belgrade. His studies were disrupted by World War II, yet he persevered and graduated with distinction in 1946. He later earned a doctorate in Technical Sciences in 1952 from the Serbian Academy of Sciences.

His career developed during a period when Yugoslavia was attempting to build its own scientific and technological capabilities. Tomović became one of the key figures who helped position the country as an internationally respected center for advanced engineering research.

Computing Pioneer

Before becoming famous for robotics, Tomović was already making significant contributions to computing.

In the 1950s he worked at the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, where he participated in the development of some of the first analog, digital, and hybrid computers in Yugoslavia. He later became chief of the CER-10 project, which produced the first Yugoslav digital computer in 1960. This achievement placed Yugoslavia among a relatively small group of countries capable of designing and building their own digital computing systems at the time.

His contributions to analog computing were also internationally recognized through his book High-Speed Analog Computers, co-authored with Walter Karplus, which was published in multiple languages and became an important reference work in the field.

Father of the Belgrade School of Robotics

In 1960 Tomović moved to the Mihajlo Pupin Institute, where he began pioneering work in anthropomorphic robotics. The institute would later become internationally known for robotics research and humanoid systems.

In 1962 he joined the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Belgrade, where he launched research programs in:

• Robotics
• Biomedical engineering
• Rehabilitation engineering
• Medical information systems
• Artificial organs
• Human-machine interaction

These disciplines were still in their infancy worldwide, making Tomović one of the earliest researchers to recognize their future importance.

The World's First Multifunctional Robotic Hand

Tomović's most famous achievement came in 1963 when he and his collaborators developed the first artificial hand with five independently functioning fingers. Known as the "Belgrade Hand," it represented a revolutionary advance in robotic manipulation and prosthetics.

Unlike previous prosthetic devices that performed only simple mechanical actions, the Belgrade Hand was designed to grasp and manipulate a variety of objects. This concept laid the foundation for modern robotic grippers and advanced prosthetic hands.

The project later evolved through collaboration with George A. Bekey at the University of Southern California. The resulting USC–Belgrade Hand became one of the most influential robotic hand designs in history and is frequently cited in robotics literature.

Today, versions of these pioneering robotic hands are preserved in robotics museums as milestones in technological history.

Exoskeletons and Rehabilitation Robotics

Tomović was not content with developing robotic hands. He also sought to restore mobility to people with disabilities.

In 1972 he led the development of one of the world's earliest robotic exoskeleton systems designed to assist walking. This was decades before wearable robotics became a major research field. The project represented one of the first serious attempts to combine robotics and rehabilitation medicine.

Working alongside researchers such as Miomir Vukobratović, Tomović helped establish what became internationally known as the Belgrade School of Robotics. Their work would influence later developments in humanoid robotics, prosthetics, and rehabilitation systems.

International Influence

One of Tomović's greatest strengths was his ability to build bridges between scientists across political divides during the Cold War.

He collaborated extensively with researchers in:

• United States
• Canada
• Soviet Union
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Poland
• Hungary
• Czechoslovakia
• Greece

He worked closely with institutions such as UCLA, USC, Ohio State University, and many others, helping connect Eastern European research with the broader international scientific community.

At a time when East-West scientific cooperation was often difficult, Tomović played a crucial role in fostering dialogue and joint research.

Scientific Contributions

Throughout his career Tomović authored more than 150 scientific papers and numerous books. His research contributed to:

• Cybernetics
• Control systems
• Robotics
• Prosthetics
• Artificial organs
• Biomedical engineering
• Nonlinear systems
• Motor control
• Human-machine interfaces

He co-authored foundational works on system sensitivity theory and nonlinear systems and helped establish theoretical frameworks that remain relevant today.

Institution Builder

Tomović's influence extended beyond research. He helped establish and lead numerous scientific organizations, including:

• Yugoslav Committee for Electronics, Telecommunications, Automation and Nuclear Sciences (ETAN)
• Yugoslav Society for Computers
• Yugoslav Society for Biomedical Engineering
• Center for Multidisciplinary Studies at the University of Belgrade

These organizations helped shape scientific development across Yugoslavia and trained generations of engineers and researchers.

Recognition and Honors

Because of his scientific achievements, Tomović was elected to the:

• Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
• Vojvodina Academy of Sciences and Arts
• Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts

He received some of the highest honors awarded in Yugoslavia, including:

• Seven July Award
• AVNOJ Award

These awards recognized both his scientific achievements and his broader contribution to society.

Legacy

Rajko Tomović died in Belgrade on 30 May 2001, but his influence remains visible throughout modern robotics. Long before the era of humanoid robots, AI-powered prosthetics, robotic exoskeletons, and wearable rehabilitation devices, Tomović was already building many of the concepts that underpin these technologies today.

His legacy is especially important because he demonstrated that groundbreaking technological innovation could emerge from the Balkans and compete on the world stage. Alongside pioneers such as Miomir Vukobratović, he helped establish Yugoslavia as one of the world's leading centers of robotics research during the second half of the twentieth century.

Many historians of technology consider Rajko Tomović not merely a Serbian or Yugoslav scientist, but one of the true global pioneers of robotics and rehabilitation engineering whose ideas continue to shape the machines that assist, augment, and restore human capabilities today. His permanent home was in Dobromani village in Herzegovina where he owned a house.