Rajko Tomović (1919–2001) was a
Serbian and
Yugoslav scientist, who developed research programs in
robotics
Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrat ...
, medical
information technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...
,
biomedical engineering
Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic). BME is also traditionally logical sciences ...
,
rehabilitation engineering
Rehabilitation engineering is the systematic application of engineering sciences to design, develop, adapt, test, evaluate, apply, and distribute technological solutions to problems confronted by individuals with disabilities. These individuals ...
,
artificial organ
An artificial organ is a human made organ device or tissue that is implanted or integrated into a human — interfacing with living tissue — to replace a natural organ, to duplicate or augment a specific function or functions so the patient m ...
s, and other disciplines. He is officially credited for creation of the first artificial hand with five fingers in 1963 in
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
. He was a member of
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU).
Biography
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
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
in 1938.
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
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
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, European countries, and North America. In 1952, Tomović received a doctorate in Technical Sciences from the
Academy of Sciences of Serbia.
In 1950, Tomović started scientific work in the
Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences
Vinča ( sr-cyr, Винча, ) is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, Serbia. It is part of the municipality of Grocka. Vinča-Belo Brdo, an important archaeological site that gives its name to the Neolithic Vinča culture, is located in the villa ...
. His main interests during the "Vinča period" were
analog computers
An analog computer or analogue computer is a type of computer that uses the continuous variation aspect of physical phenomena such as electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic quantities (''analog signals'') to model the problem being solved. In c ...
, and he greatly contributed to first analog,
digital
Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits.
Technology and computing Hardware
*Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals
**Digital camera, which captures and stores digital i ...
and
hybrid computers ever built in Vinča.
Robotic science
In 1960 he moved to the
Institute "Mihajlo Pupin" to pursue research in the field of anthropomorphic robotics and water engineering. In 1962, Rajko Tomović joined the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
at the Department for Automatic Control. While at the University, Tomović started programs in
robotics
Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrat ...
,
information technologies
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...
in medicine,
bio-medical
Biomedical sciences are a set of sciences applying portions of natural science or formal science, or both, to develop knowledge, interventions, or technology that are of use in healthcare or public health. Such disciplines as medical microbio ...
engineering,
rehabilitation engineering
Rehabilitation engineering is the systematic application of engineering sciences to design, develop, adapt, test, evaluate, apply, and distribute technological solutions to problems confronted by individuals with disabilities. These individuals ...
,
artificial organ
An artificial organ is a human made organ device or tissue that is implanted or integrated into a human — interfacing with living tissue — to replace a natural organ, to duplicate or augment a specific function or functions so the patient m ...
s, and many other important disciplines that are reaching maturity today. The first artificial hand with five fingers in the world was made in 1963 in
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
by academician Tomović and his associates. These so-called "Belgrade hands" are now in the Museum of
Robotics
Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrat ...
in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. In Belgrade, 1972, Tomović an
exoskeleton
An exoskeleton (from Greek ''éxō'' "outer" and ''skeletós'' "skeleton") is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to an internal skeleton (endoskeleton) in for example, a human. In usage, some of the ...
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
Miomir Vukobratović ( sr-cyr, Миомир Вукобратовић) (December 24, 1931 – March 11, 2012) was a Serbian mechanical engineer and pioneer in humanoid robots. His major interest were in the development of efficient modeling an ...
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
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
and in the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Serbia (
SANU
Sanu may refer to:
*Sanu, Iran, village in the Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran
*Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU), an academic institution in Serbia
*Sudan African National Union, a political party in Sudan
*South American native ungulate ...
) 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
Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrat ...
,
biomedical engineering
Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic). BME is also traditionally logical sciences ...
, and computer sciences. During this period he built a lifelong cooperation with scientists from the
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...
, Los Angeles (UCLA),
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
(USC),
Los Angeles, Ohio State University, Columbus,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, 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. He was a chief of project
CER-10
CER model 10 was a vacuum tube, transistor and electronic relay based computer developed at IBK-Vinča and the Mihajlo Pupin Institute (Belgrade) in 1960.CIFARSKI EL.RAČUNAR CER-Vinča, by dr Rajko Tomović et al., from the Proc. Conf.ETAN-1960 ...
, the first Yugoslav digital computer from 1960.
Academy of Science memberships
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
The Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia,, mk, Антифашистичко собрание за народно ослободување на Југославија commonly abbreviated as the AVNOJ, was a deliberat ...
Award, and much recognition for his research.
Social and cultural activities
Tomović was one of the founders of the
Yugoslav Committee
Yugoslav Committee ( sh-Latn, Jugoslavenski odbor, sr-Cyrl, Југословенски одбор) was a political interest group formed by South Slavs from Austria-Hungary during World War I aimed at joining the existing south Slavic nations in ...
for Electronics, Telecommunication, Automatics and Nuclear Sciences (ETAN), Yugoslav Society for Computers, Yugoslav Society for
Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic). BME is also traditionally logical sciences ...
, Center for Multidisciplinary Studies of the
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade ( sr, / ) is a public university in Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia.
Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-b ...
, Center for Strategic Social and Technical Planning in
Novi Sad
Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...
, 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
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
.
Work
During the period 1955 to 1990 he worked on several pioneering scientific and technological developments. Many of these activities received global attention. His book about High-speed
Analog
Analog or analogue may refer to:
Computing and electronics
* Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable
** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals
*** Analog electronics, circuits which use 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
Miomir Vukobratović ( sr-cyr, Миомир Вукобратовић) (December 24, 1931 – March 11, 2012) was a Serbian mechanical engineer and pioneer in humanoid robots. His major interest were in the development of efficient modeling an ...
. Tomović was the author of the textbook ''Nonlinear Systems'' (1983) with Prof.
Srdjan Stanković
Srdjan Stanković (born August 28, 1975) is a Macedonian former professional basketball player who played for Rabotnički, MZT Skopje, Kumanovo, Pelister, Žito Vardar Živa, Crn Drim and Ergonom from Niš. He was also member of Macedonian na ...
and the book ''Limitations of the Formal System Theory'' (1979) with Walter J. Karplus.
One his best-known results was the multifunctional hand
prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
, developed in collaboration with Prof. Miodrag Rakić that is now exhibited in the Museum of Robotics in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. In the 1980s, together with colleagues from the Universities of
Novi Sad
Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...
and
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, Tomović promoted the Belgrade NSC robotic hand, which was at the time one of the most powerful robotic grasping devices. In the early eighties, Tomović was leading a project for Veterans Administration Center, New York City, that resulted in the only powered and externally controlled self-contained transfemoral
prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
that reached the world market. It was a type of
artificial leg
In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
. Tomović participated in and contributed to many designs and development projects including the first
analog
Analog or analogue may refer to:
Computing and electronics
* Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable
** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals
*** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...
and
digital computer
A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations ( computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These pro ...
s for the
Yugoslav army
The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska a ...
and
defense systems
JSC Defense systems is a Russian-Belarusian air defense system manufacturer.
Overview
The company was formed on January 23, 1996 as a joint venture under a Russia-Belarus intergovernmental agreement. It consists of 38 subsidiaries in both countri ...
. As a world-recognized expert and leader in the field, Tomović was frequently invited to teach and consult in other ways at various universities, international meetings, specialized workshop, and major funding agencies.
Rajko Tomović was constantly involved in the organization of scientific and engineering meetings, summer schools, and workshops that took place in
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
. These meetings were for a long time a unique opportunity for East and West to meet. Yugoslavian meetings became places where scientists from the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
and other Eastern-bloc countries met with their colleagues from North America and Western Europe. The series of 10 triennial international meetings "Advances in External Control of Humans Extremities", known as the
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
meetings, resulted in 10 historic Proceedings that are used as the basic reference for the work in the rehabilitation of humans with an impact on movement.
Tomović supervised many masters and doctoral students. The students of Rajko Tomović became world renowned experts in their fields. In 1984, Dr. Norman Kaplan, Director of the
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...
, Washington, D.C., gave an interesting, very valid depiction of Rajko Tomović's personality, stating that he was a
renaissance scientist.
Tomović authored more than 150 scientific papers; most of those in peer-reviewed journals. He was and is frequently cited, and some of his works opened important technical developments. Together with Dr. Dejan B. Popović and Richard B. Stein, he published the first
monograph
A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject.
In library cataloging, ''monograph ...
in the world about non-analytical methods for motor control in 1995. He wrote many invited encyclopedia chapters and authored other books dealing with
robotics
Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrat ...
,
biomedical engineering
Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic). BME is also traditionally logical sciences ...
, and
automation
Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, namely by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machines ...
.
Books
* Technology and Society
* High Speed Analogue Computers
* Introduction to Nonlinear Automatic Control Systems
* Sensitivity analysis of
dynamic systems
In mathematics, a dynamical system is a system in which a function describes the time dependence of a point in an ambient space. Examples include the mathematical models that describe the swinging of a clock pendulum, the flow of water in a p ...
(McGraw-Hill electronic sciences series)
* Non-analytical Methods for Motor Control
* General Sensitivity Theory (Modern analytic and computational methods in science and mathematics)
Personal life
Tomović was active in the political life of
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
, mostly working as an advisor and consultant. Throughout his life, Tomović never compromised his
cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopoli ...
ideals. Tomović sought to balance his scientific and other activities, especially later in his life, studying arts and philosophy. The piano and his collection of CDs were close to hand and he greatly enjoyed classical music. The little pillow in front of the
CD player
A CD player is an electronic device that plays audio compact discs, which are a digital optical disc data storage format. CD players were first sold to consumers in 1982. CDs typically contain recordings of audio material such as music or aud ...
and old gramophone, a large collection of CDs and LP records, and headphones that can eliminate daily noise, were all parts of his living room furniture. Reading the classics in mathematics and philosophy a source of much inspiration for Tomović. He was also involved actively in playing sports, especially
rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
. He had the second-best result in rowing in his age group for several years, and he constantly wanted to improve his performance while rowing with professional youngsters on the
Sava
The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
River around his famous
Ada Ciganlija
Ada Ciganlija ( sr-cyr, Ада Циганлија, ), colloquially shortened to Ada, is a river island that has artificially been turned into a peninsula, located in the Sava River's course through central Belgrade, Serbia. The name can also ref ...
Island. Tennis was his hobby. His
roots
A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients.
Root or roots may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...
were in
Dobromani
Dobromani ( sr-cyrl, Добромани) is a village in the municipality of Trebinje, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the place where the roots of Rajko Tomović, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officia ...
village,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
, where he owned house.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomovic, Rajko
1919 births
2001 deaths
Roboticists
Serbian roboticists
Mihajlo Pupin Institute
Analog computers
Computer designers
CER computers
Serbian engineers
Yugoslav engineers