Rajko Tomović

Rajko Tomović (1919–2001) was a Serbian and Yugoslav scientist, who developed research programs in robotics, medical information technology, biomedical engineering, rehabilitation engineering, artificial organs, and other disciplines.

Rajko Tomović was born in Baja, Hungary, in 1919.

In 1938, he commenced his undergraduate education at the Department for Electro-Mechanical Engineering of the Technical University of Belgrade in 1938.

World War II dramatically changed his life, but he persisted in studies and graduated in 1946 with excellence.

After graduation he started his highly productive career, characterised by scientific and cultural collaboration.

With his extraordinary language skills, and excellent overall education, he communicated at the highest scientific level with colleagues from the Soviet Union, European countries, and North America.

In 1950, Tomović started scientific work in the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences.

His main interests during the "Vinča period" were analog computers, and he greatly contributed to first analog, digital and hybrid computers ever built in Vinča.

In 1952, Tomović received a doctorate in Technical Sciences from the Academy of Sciences of Serbia.

During the period 1955 to 1990 he worked on several pioneering scientific and technological developments.

Many of these activities received global attention.

In 1960 he moved to the Institute "Mihajlo Pupin" to pursue research in the field of anthropomorphic robotics and water engineering.

He was a chief of project CER-10, the first Yugoslav digital computer from 1960.

Based in his research results and his contributions to science he was elected as a member of the Vojvodina Academy of Science and Arts (VANU), and afterwards he became a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU).

He was also elected as an external member of the Slovenian Academy of Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU).

Tomović was decorated with the highest state medals and awards.

He received the National 7 July Award, the AVNOJ Award, and much recognition for his research.

Tomović was one of the founders of the Yugoslav Committee for Electronics, Telecommunication, Automatics and Nuclear Sciences (ETAN), Yugoslav Society for Computers, Yugoslav Society for Biomedical Engineering, Center for Multidisciplinary Studies of the University of Belgrade, Center for Strategic Social and Technical Planning in Novi Sad, and many other institutions.

He was a member of various high-level state organizations and a recognized member of the only political party in Yugoslavia.

In 1962, Rajko Tomović joined the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade at the Department for Automatic Control.

While at the University, Tomović started programs in robotics, information technologies in medicine, bio-medical engineering, rehabilitation engineering, artificial organs, and many other important disciplines that are reaching maturity today.

His book about High-speed Analog Computers (with Walter J. Karplus) published in 1962 introduced the concept of electronic device systems for a repetitive (analog) computer facility.

It was published in French, English, and Russian.

He authored the first monograph dealing with sensitivity theory of dynamical systems together with Dr. Miomir Vukobratović.

He is officially credited for creation of the first artificial hand with five fingers in 1963 in Belgrade.

A subsequent version, the USC Belgrade hand -- a collaboration between Tomović and

roboticist George A. Bekey at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles -- became a landmark in the history of robotic hands.

Tomović was a member of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU).

The first artificial hand with five fingers in the world was made in 1963 in Belgrade by academician Tomović and his associates.

These so-called "Belgrade hands" are now in the Museum of Robotics in Boston.

In Belgrade, 1972, Tomović made an exoskeleton which was the first machine designed for walking disability.

This machine is now in the Museum of Robotics in Moscow.

Tomović was also assisted by Miomir Vukobratović and his team.

Tomović retired from official duties at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, yet he never stopped being engaged in various projects, or student supervision, at both the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and in the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Serbia (SANU) where he developed new initiatives, and continued to educate young researchers.

Rajko Tomović spent time in the U.S. contributing greatly to the development of new views and methods in robotics, biomedical engineering, and computer sciences.

During this period he built a lifelong cooperation with scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, and many other research institutions.

His contacts and communication spread over Canada, the U.S., the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and many other countries.

In the 1980s, Bekey and Tomović worked closely to improve the hand.

Bekey and his team added sensors, motors and control systems while greatly improving the device's reliability.

Unlike other hands being developed at the time, the Bekey-Tomović version had an adaptable structure that enabled the hand to grasp and hold random objects.