Ask people to describe what they consider a good home to be, and many will say that it is a warm place out of the cold. These days, the warmth of a home is a definite privilege, and more so if the home itself does it without much effort from the residents. A home like that of Global Recognition Awards recipient Veljko Milković‘s in Novi Sad, where the temperature remained a comfortable 20 degrees Celsius with no humming furnace or clicking radiators in the background, is a true blessing. Best of all, there will be no energy bills that will arrive by month’s end. The 75-year-old inventor had built something that defied conventional wisdom: a house that heated itself through nothing more than solar energy, thermal mass, and the insulating properties of soil.
For seven decades, Milković has pursued what many consider impossible. His Two-Stage Mechanical Oscillator produces more output energy than input energy, challenging fundamental laws of physics. His self-heating ecological houses maintain optimal temperatures year-round without external power sources. His pendulum-powered water pumps make the backbreaking work of drawing water 93 percent easier. Each invention emerges from a mind that refuses to accept the limitations others take for granted.
This past July, the Tesla Science Foundation awarded Milković the Tesla Spirit Award 2024, recognizing him for achieving what Nikola Tesla himself envisioned over a century ago: harnessing gravitational forces to power machines. The recognition came as climate change accelerates demand for sustainable building solutions and energy-efficient technologies. Yet Milković’s work remains largely unknown outside scientific circles, despite many foreign companies reportedly using or manufacturing devices based on his pendulum technology.
The Pendulum That Changed Everything
Milković’s breakthrough came through an obsessive study of pendulum motion. His Two-Stage Mechanical Oscillator, first patented in 1999, combines a pendulum with a lever system to create what he calls “gravitational machines.” The device operates on deceptively simple principles: a pendulum drives a two-armed lever, creating oscillations that can power water pumps, generators, hammers, and presses. Research measurements show the system achieving efficiency ratios of up to 12:1, meaning it produces twelve times more output energy than input energy.
Engineering wisdom dictates that traditional mechanical systems lose energy through friction and heat. Milković’s oscillator appears to gain energy, drawing power from gravitational forces that surround us constantly. His hand water pump with pendulum technology can pump 1,200 liters per hour with minimal human effort, transforming water access in remote areas where electricity remains unavailable.
The scientific community has responded with both fascination and skepticism. Various physicists, professors, and engineers have provided positive assessments of his research, while others question whether the measurements account for all energy inputs. Milković continues refining his technology through the Veljko Milković Research and Development Center in Novi Sad, recently filing patents for an “Electrogenerator with Magnets Driven by a Two-Stage Oscillator” in May 2023.
Houses That Defy Winter
Beyond mechanical oscillators, Veljko Milković has pioneered ecological architecture that eliminates heating costs entirely. His self-heating ecological house concept uses south-facing orientation, partial earth sheltering, and thick insulating walls made from natural materials like clay, straw, and wood. Glazed greenhouse-style sunrooms trap heat during winter months, while natural ventilation systems maintain comfortable temperatures without major heat loss.
The construction costs remain remarkably low. Milković estimates building a complete self-heating ecological house to be around 10-20 percent cheaper than traditional houses, using locally sourced materials and avoiding expensive technology. The design has earned him multiple Energy Globe Awards, one of the world’s most prestigious environmental honors. He won national recognition for Serbia in 2010 for the self-heating house concept and again in 2011 for his pendulum-powered water pump technology.
These houses represent more than energy efficiency; they embody a philosophy of living within natural systems rather than fighting against them. The thick thermal mass stores heat during sunny days and releases it slowly during cold nights. Earth berming provides insulation that conventional materials cannot match. The result: homes that maintain comfortable temperatures year-round while producing almost zero carbon emissions.
The Archaeologist-Inventor
Veljko Milković’s unconventional path began with archaeology, not engineering. Born in Subotica in 1949, he studied history before developing his passion for invention. Since 1960, he has explored the underground labyrinth system beneath Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, deciphering orientation marks and establishing navigation patterns for the 20-kilometer network of subterranean passages.
This archaeological work shaped his thinking about energy and mechanical systems. Ancient builders understood principles that modern engineering often overlooks. They built structures that lasted millennia using local materials and natural forces. Milković applies similar thinking to contemporary problems, seeking solutions that work with natural systems rather than against them.
His 31 granted patents span water pumping, electricity generation, mechanical work, and industrial applications. He has authored 18 books covering gravitational machines, anti-gravity motors, ecological housing, and archaeological discoveries. Prestigious institutions, including the Library of Congress, British Library, and Library of Alexandria, have accepted his publications. The Serbian Academy of Innovation Sciences elected him as an academician, where he serves as president of the Department for Ecological Innovations.
No Good Deed Goes Unrecognized
The recognition continues mounting. Beyond the Tesla Spirit Award, Veljko Milković received a Gold Medal from the Serbian Academy of Inventors and Scientists in 2024 for his decades of contributions to invention, and most recently, a 2025 Global Recognition Award. His official website attracts over 100,000 visitors, while researchers worldwide study and replicate his pendulum-based technologies.
Standing in his self-heating home as snow falls outside, Milković reflects on seven decades of challenging conventional wisdom. “People think you need complex technology to solve energy problems,” Milković observes, “sometimes the simplest solutions are the most powerful. Nature has been showing us the way for millions of years. We just need to pay attention.”
