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R. RAGU

Monitor every move.

Ambar Singh Roy

Get into the field, with technology playing on your side.

Kolkata-based Comunet Systems says it has developed software that can make a marked difference to the sportsman, be it cricket, football, hockey or any other game where speed and power are the essence.

The software also serves as an important tool for coaching centres and coaches, and enables them to bring the best out of subjects under them.

Among those who are already using the software are the Physical Education Department of Kolkata’s Jadavpur University, coaching centres and software scientists dealing in human motion analyses, says the company.

The software is for motion analyses with special focus on the centre of gravity, along with acceleration, velocity and force, without the usage of force platforms or sensors.

The integrated 2D modeller software has two components.

It can conduct static as well as dynamic analysis. Data for the static analysis can be obtained from still photographs of the subject while data for dynamic analysis can be obtained from video clips. Video image processing and video analysis can bring out the velocity, acceleration, force, shift in the centre of gravity, angular momentum, etc.

The visual and textual data can be incorporated in commonly-used format.

Says Sanjit Adhikary, Executive Director of Comunet Systems: “To train a person, the trainer needs to know what his subject is capable of. This software enables coaches to inculcate among their subjects correct techniques for enhanced performance and better results.

The software can analyse movements of the head, neck, shoulders, elbow, wrists, knees and all joints in the skeletal system. Along with video analysis of individual frames, analyses of the whole body with the centre of gravity and shift in segmental centre of gravity can also be done.”

From the frames captured, one can calculate the velocity, acceleration, force and angular momentum. Adds Adhikary: “If you have the distance and time, you can calculate velocity.

If you have velocity, you can calculate acceleration. If you have acceleration, you can calculate force. And if you know the force, you can calculate momentum”.

The software currently runs on Microsoft Windows. Efforts are on to develop a second version of the software, which will be platform-independent.

The professional version of the software is priced at Rs 75,000, along with a camcorder.

A provisional version without a camera costs Rs 37,500 while a learners’ version that allows for only static analysis has been priced at Rs 15,000.

According to Adhikary, the market potential of the software is huge.

“Sports bodies and coaching centres are focussed on ensuring that correct techniques are adopted by sportspersons under them for enhanced performance in their respective sporting arenas. As such, the potential for this software is huge”, he adds.

Says Dr Sudip Ranjan Das, Head of the Department of Physical Education, Jadavpur University : “We are very happy to be using the 2D modeller software that has been developed by Comunet Systems.

We had felt the need for using similar software for measuring the centre of gravity, taking angular measurements and making analyses of our subjects in both static and dynamic modes.

Earlier, such software developed by companies abroad was available to us but its costs were prohibitive for educational institutions such as ours.

The software developed by Comunet meets our needs and is value for money. It has been also approved by experts on bio-mechanics.

However, the scope for making further improvements on the product is always there”.

ambar_singhroy@rediffmail.com

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