On track

A technology being used to identify possible criminals or terrorists in a crowd may help UK in its bid for medals at the 2012 Olympics.

The analysis of body movement using artificial intelligence helps security services pick out unusual body movements and suspicious behaviour at events such as rallies or football matches.

Now, Muscle Memory Second Generation (MM2G) is developing a web-based product that will use the same technology to enhance the sports performance of professional and amateur athletes.

The system uses qualitative analysis based on technology developed with the Institute of Industrial Research (IIR) at the

. The group has studied how the body's muscles operate when the subject is performing a particular activity and, using artificial intelligence, has created computer templates of normal movement.

'The theory of how this will work is that the sportsperson will capture their movements and compare it to the templates,' said Winslie Gomez, MM2G managing director. 'This will create the equivalent of having a personal coach in their pocket.'