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SC State couple honored for work in brain-computer interface

SC State couple honored for work in brain-computer interface

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has recognized two South Carolina State University (SCSU) faculty members for their historic achievements in the field of brain-computer interfaces.

SC State faculty members Stevo Bozinovski and Liljana Bozinovska, left and center, and fellow researcher Mihail Sestakov, at the 2023 reception…

The doctor and computer scientist Dr. In 1988, Liljana Bozinovska and Stevo Bozinovski were members of a scientific team at the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, Macedonia, which demonstrated the first control of a physical object using signals emanating from a human brain.

In 2023, IEEE recognized the team for their achievement with the IEEE Milestone Award, which recognizes a significant pioneering event in science. IEEE is the world’s largest professional society for electrical engineers, computer scientists, physicians and related disciplines.

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“The achievements of Dr. Stevo Bozinovski and Dr. Lijana Bozinovska are no surprise to the SC State University academic community,” said Dr. Frederick Evans, SC State Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Both professors are long-time researchers and practitioners in their respective academic disciplines.

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SC State University is launching the My Brother’s Keepers initiative to support and empower male students, with the goal of increasing retention and graduation rates through mentorship and resources.

“I have watched professors demonstrate their research over the years while attending the IEEE quarterly meetings on campus,” Evans said. “This milestone award for achievement in brain-controlled robotics is a testament to the quality of faculty teaching our students in preparation for the workforce and graduate education.”

Bozinovska is now a professor in the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences at SC State, and Bozinovski is a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Mathematics. The third team member was Mihail Sestakov, who now lives in Australia.


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The three scientists showed how a human brain can use EEG signals to control the movement of a mobile robot. The result was published in 1988 at the IEEE Conference on Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society in New Orleans. The performance was clearly ahead of its time. The second time a robot was controlled using brain signals, 11 years later, in 1999, at Duke University.

Nowadays, many academic and industrial institutions are using EEG-controlled devices such as exoskeletons, wheelchairs, robots and others for the benefit of humanity.

To be designated as an IEEE Milestone, the achievement must be at least 25 years old to be properly evaluated. The IEEE Milestone is recognized by the IEEE History Committee and approved by the IEEE Board of Directors. Once approved, a memorial will be erected by the IEEE at the site of the achievement. The plaque was presented by IEEE President Dr. Saifur Rahman revealed. The monument remains the property of the IEEE in the USA, but is managed by the local branch of the IEEE.

The qualitative scientific impact of the 1988 work includes:

1. Solving a long-standing challenge of technical solution to psychokinesis.

2. Establishing a relationship between robotics and brain signals, which were distant areas of research before 1988.

3. First use of machine learning in brain-computer interface research.

4. Opening of a new communication channel between man and machine, direct EEG communication.

This year, 2024, in consideration of his IEEE milestone recognition, IEEE also honored Bozinovski with the organization’s Region 3 (Southeast U.S.) Life Member Individual Service Award.

SC State is the only university in South and North Carolina where faculty members have received IEEE Milestone recognition.

Bozinovski noted that scientific achievements have a wide range.

“The entry level receives a scholarship while the senior level receives scientific recognition in the form of a Nobel Prize,” he said. “In between there are various indices such as publications and citations. However, a Nobel Prize-like achievement includes a special and important pioneering achievement and benefit to humanity.

“The IEEE Milestone evaluation is similar to the Nobel Prize evaluation and emphasizes the groundbreaking significance of a scientific result,” said Bozinovski.

Bozinovska said she found it exciting to work as a doctor in a team with two computer scientists. Her prior knowledge of brain potentials and EEG contributed to this success and connected EEG research with robotics research.

The Department of Computer Science and Mathematics and the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences are units of the SC State College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Transportation (STEM-T).