Belgrade hand – Prosthetic robotic hand

Authors: Rajko Tomović and Miodrag Rakić

Manufacturer: Institute Mihajlo Pupin

Place and time of production: Belgrade, SFRY, 1963

Dimensions (cm): 10. 8. 3

Inventory number: Т:91.3

In 1963, Rajko Tomović and Miodrag Rakić, professors at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade, began their pioneering work on construction of an artificial hand. That same year, at the Institute Mihajlo Pupin, they constructed a model of the first externally powered prosthetic robotic hand in the world. The hand had five fingers, micropower and sensory feedback. It enabled the user to grasp objects with extended and bended fingers. This model of the multifunctional external hand prosthetics is known as Belgrade hand. Even though it was not used as an orthopaedic aid, Belgrade hand is significant because during further research it impacted the development of robotic hands in the world. Developing new versions, a team of engineers at the Institute worked on improving its adaptability.

Work on the robotic hand also intensified the activities in the field of robotics at the Institute Mihajlo Pupin, so a Robotics Laboratory was established in 1967, as the first in South Eastern Europe.