Lay summary
This research aims to improve the recovery process for people in Aotearoa New Zealand who suffer from limb loss. Many amputees face challenges with movement, mental wellbeing, and using prosthetic limbs. We will explore how to make recovery easier by reducing mental fatigue, improving learning methods for using prosthetics, and designing better human-machine technologies. Our approach includes using wearable sensors to detect mental fatigue, developing training methods using familiar Māori storytelling like pūrākau and whakataukī, and creating smarter, easier-to-use prosthetic devices. These steps aim to improve quality of life, reduce injury risk, and make recovery more personal and culturally meaningful. By reducing long-term care needs and making assistive devices more usable, this research also offers strong value for money for New Zealand’s health system.