That really is good news. I am confident that we will be able to address spinal cord injuries both biologically and electrically/computer before 2020. I spoke with robot guru Rodney Brooks, head of MIT's lab on this recently. He's also convinced that vision restoration, etc. is in the cards for next decade realities. I share his view in that we will not be supplanted by future AI robots but that we mankind will become the robots, i.e. we will enhance/fix our bodies by biotek & electronics means. Not the Hans Moravic download ourselves into CPUs sci-fi scenario which Brooks derides. It's a long standing human tradition from pre-history to modify our bodies. Breast implants, botox injections, hearing aids, contact lenses, laser surgery, liposuction, body piercing, tattoos are current cultural examples.

-philw (MC Hawking would say "We bees the 'bots, bro!")