diff --git a/core/tracking.py b/core/tracking.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3168555
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/tracking.py
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+import os
+import subprocess
+import tempfile
+
+from .paths import _bin, _log
+
+_yolo_model = None
+
+
+def _get_yolo():
+    """Lazy-load YOLOv8-nano. Returns None if ultralytics is not installed."""
+    global _yolo_model
+    if _yolo_model is None:
+        try:
+            from ultralytics import YOLO
+            _yolo_model = YOLO("yolov8n.pt")
+            _log("YOLO model loaded")
+        except ImportError:
+            _log("ultralytics not installed — tracking disabled")
+            return None
+        except Exception as e:
+            _log(f"YOLO load failed: {e}")
+            return None
+    return _yolo_model
+
+
+def extract_frame_cv(video_path: str, time: float):
+    """Extract a single frame as a numpy array (BGR) via ffmpeg -> temp PNG -> cv2."""
+    try:
+        import cv2
+        import numpy as np
+    except ImportError:
+        return None
+    fd, tmp = tempfile.mkstemp(suffix=".png")
+    os.close(fd)
+    try:
+        cmd = [_bin("ffmpeg"), "-y", "-ss", str(time), "-i", video_path,
+               "-frames:v", "1", tmp]
+        result = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, timeout=10)
+        if result.returncode != 0:
+            return None
+        return cv2.imread(tmp)
+    except Exception:
+        return None
+    finally:
+        if os.path.exists(tmp):
+            os.unlink(tmp)
+
+
+def detect_subject_center(
+    video_path: str, time: float, target_cls: int | None, last_x: float, last_y: float,
+) -> tuple[int | None, float, float] | None:
+    """Detect objects at *time* and return (class_id, norm_x, norm_y) of the
+    best match to (target_cls, last_x, last_y).  Returns None on failure."""
+    model = _get_yolo()
+    if model is None:
+        return None
+    frame = extract_frame_cv(video_path, time)
+    if frame is None:
+        return None
+    results = model(frame, verbose=False)
+    if not results or len(results[0].boxes) == 0:
+        return None
+    h, w = frame.shape[:2]
+    dets = []
+    for box in results[0].boxes:
+        x1, y1, x2, y2 = box.xyxy[0].tolist()
+        cls = int(box.cls[0])
+        cx = (x1 + x2) / 2 / w
+        cy = (y1 + y2) / 2 / h
+        dets.append((cls, cx, cy))
+    # Prefer same class, nearest to last known position.
+    def score(d):
+        cls_penalty = 0 if (target_cls is None or d[0] == target_cls) else 1.0
+        dist = (d[1] - last_x) ** 2 + (d[2] - last_y) ** 2
+        return cls_penalty + dist
+    best = min(dets, key=score)
+    return best
+
+
+def track_centers_for_jobs(
+    video_path: str, cursor: float, crop_center: float,
+    starts: list[float],
+) -> list[float]:
+    """Run detection at the cursor (to identify the target) then at each start
+    time.  Returns a list of horizontal crop centers (one per start)."""
+    ref = detect_subject_center(video_path, cursor, None, crop_center, 0.5)
+    if ref is None:
+        _log("Tracking: no detection at cursor, using fixed center")
+        return [crop_center] * len(starts)
+    target_cls, last_x, last_y = ref
+    _log(f"Tracking: target class={target_cls} at ({last_x:.2f}, {last_y:.2f})")
+    centers = []
+    for t in starts:
+        det = detect_subject_center(video_path, t, target_cls, last_x, last_y)
+        if det is not None:
+            _, cx, cy = det
+            _log(f"  t={t:.2f}s → center={cx:.3f}")
+            centers.append(cx)
+            last_x, last_y = cx, cy
+        else:
+            _log(f"  t={t:.2f}s → lost, reusing {last_x:.3f}")
+            centers.append(last_x)
+    return centers