Teesside University develops tech platform to market worldwide

A high-tech training platform developed with support from Teesside University is being marketed to thousands of young athletes in the Far East.

Pro Sport Support Ltd, in Huddersfield, has developed its AMAT (Athletic Movement Analysis Tool) training platform as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Teesside University.

The project has been successful and Pro Sport Support Ltd has signed a contract with Shenzhen Good Family Enterprise - one of China’s largest manufacturers and distributors of sporting goods.

The platform is also attracting attention from sports teams and organisations as far afield as Argentina, Columbia, Hungary, Egypt and Italy.

Developed to investigate a battery of athletic movements in young athletes, the platform uses motion capture technology, to analyse how the player moves.

The technology, which is more commonly found in gaming systems such as the Xbox, provides an objective assessment of the athlete’s performance which can be monitored and analysed.

Corrective areas can be identified immediately and a bespoke training plan is created automatically for the athlete to help improve their fundamental movement skills. These training plans are created using AMAT exer-gaming which allows young athletes to access exercise animations on the training app specific to their requirements.

KTPs typically last for two years and are a collaboration between a University and a company. They are part-funded by Innovate UK to help businesses embed innovations and improve productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills being generated in UK universities.

Guy Parkin set up Pro Football Support in 2009 and the company already works with every Premier League Academy.

He said: “AMAT provides us with a unique training platform which combines the latest in motion tracking technology with our established track record in working with young athletes.

“We are delighted with the success of the KTP it has surpassed our expectations and to get such a big contract in such a short time is incredible.”

Matt Portas, a senior lecturer in sport and exercise, worked with Pro Football Support to help develop AMAT.

He said: “To develop such a remarkable product which has been so well received is fantastic.

“Also, in terms of our academic development, there has been a lot of benefit which has emanated from this KTP and it has generated some incredibly useful research about the development and training of young athletes.”