Annotation -- Head posture

Group: Head posture

General definition posture: A posture represents the general alignment of one or a set of articulators (head, trunk, arms) to a particular resting configuration, which shows periodic changes known as posture shifts. Posture shifts (labelled as posture transitions) are movements associated with positioning the body.

Postures are different from actions because a) postures are less subject to frequent change and thus have larger durations, b) postures are robust (small movements do not change or distort the posture), c) whereas actions may or may not be displayed, the body is continually in one or another postural alignment. This means that when a body part is not involved in an action, it is always in a particular posture (but not vice versa, see remark below).

Head posture units (-PU) are defined for each direction (e.g. left, right) and anatomical articulation (e.g. turn, tilt) separately. Direction is coded using an anatomical frame of reference, which is independent of any external observer. The direction of the movement is respective to three orthogonal planes that are defined relative to the anatomical standard position of the body (following kinematic standards). The direction coded for postures (e.g. head to left) refers to the end position.

Segmentation rules: A posture unit (-PU) is segmented in a transition and configuration phase. The posture transition phase (-PT) (posture shift) is the time segment where the articulator performs the movements for obtaining the end position. During the configuration phase (-PC) the end position of the coded articulator is maintained for the coded direction. This does not imply the obtained posture is static.

The transition onset is the starting point of the movement needed to achieve the end position, or the starting frame of the video when the movement onset is cut off. The transition offset is the time point where the transition described in the particular category is ended, or the last frame of the video if the movement offset is cut from the video. The frame following the transition offset is coded as the onset of the posture configuration. The offset of the configuration phase is the time point when the coded end position is broken off by the beginning of a new positioning movement or by an action behavior of same body part. Note: the transition phase can overlap with the retraction of an action. Remark. Not all action behaviors interrupt an ongoing position. It is thus possible that a position of a body part (e.g. head forward) is not broken off by an action by that body part (lateral head shake). When the end of the posture is cut off by the video boundary, the last frame has to be coded as the offset.

Nodes
HTuL-PU
Container
Lateral head turn towards a left position. This is a rotation of the head around the vertical axis that results in the face becoming more visible on right side relative to the anatomical standard position from a frontal viewpoint. Look at the cheek and ears, do not be misled by accompanying eye movement.
HTuL-PT
Container
Transition phase of lateral head turn towards a left position.
HTuL-PC
Container
Configuration phase of lateral head turn towards a left position.
HTuR-PU
Container
Lateral head turn towards a right position. This is a rotation of the head around the vertical axis that results in the face becoming more visible on left side relative to the anatomical standard position from a frontal viewpoint. Look at the cheek and ears, do not be misled by accompanying eye movement.
HTuR-PT
Container
Transition phase of lateral head turn towards a right position.
HTuR-PC
Container
Configuration phase of lateral head turn towards a right position.
HTuM-PU
Container
Lateral head turn towards the lateral middle position. This is a rotation of the head around the vertical axis that results in the anatomical standard position.
HTuM-PT
Container
Transition phase of lateral head turn towards the lateral middle position.
HTuM-PC
Container
Configuration phase of lateral head turn towards the lateral middle position.
HTiL-PU
Container
Lateral head tilt towards a left position. This is a rotation of the head around the sagittal axis that results in the head tilted laterally towards the left shoulder.
HTiL-PT
Container
Transition phase of lateral head tilt towards a left position.
HTiL-PC
Container
Configuration phase of lateral head tilt towards a left position.
HTiR-PU
Container
Lateral head tilt towards a right position. This is a rotation of the head around the sagittal axis that results in the head tilted laterally towards the right shoulder.
HTiR-PT
Container
Transition phase of lateral head tilt towards a right position.
HTiR-PC
Container
Configuration phase of lateral head tilt towards a right position.
HTiM-PU
Container
Lateral head tilt towards the lateral middle position. This is a rotation of the head around the sagittal axis that results in the anatomical standard position.
HTiM-PT
Container
Transition phase of lateral head tilt towards the lateral middle position.
HTiM-PC
Container
Configuration phase of lateral head tilt towards the lateral middle position.
HVU-PU
Container
Vertical head tilt towards an upward position. This is a rotation of the head around the transversal axis that results in the head lifted up relative to the anatomical standard position.
HVU-PT
Container
Transition phase of vertical head tilt towards an upward position.
HVU-PC
Container
Configuration phase of vertical head tilt towards an upward position.
HVD-PU
Container
Vertical head tilt towards a downward position. This is a rotation of the head around the transversal axis that results in the head dropped down relative to the anatomical standard position.
HVD-PT
Container
Transition phase of vertical head tilt towards an downward position.
HVD-PC
Container
Configuration phase of vertical head tilt towards an downward position.
HVM-PU
Container
Vertical head tilt towards the vertical middle position. This is a rotation of the head around the transversal axis that results in the anatomical standard position.
HVM-PT
Container
Transition phase of vertical head tilt towards the vertical middle position.
HVM-PC
Container
Configuration phase of vertical head tilt towards the vertical middle position.
NF-PU
Container
Neck extension towards a forward head position. This is a translatory motion of the head along the sagittal axis that results in the head put forward relative to the anatomical standard position.
NF-PT
Container
Transition phase of neck extension towards a forward head position.
NF-PC
Container
Configuration phase of neck extension towards a forward head position.
NB-PU
Container
Neck retraction towards a backward head position. This is a translatory motion of the head along the sagittal axis that results in the head put backward relative to the anatomical standard position.
NB-PT
Container
Transition phase of neck retraction towards a backward head position.
NB-PC
Container
Configuration phase of neck retraction towards a backward head position.
NM-PU
Container
Neck extension/retraction towards the frontal middle position. This is a translatory motion of the head along the sagittal axis that results in the anatomical standard position.
NM-PT
Container
Transition phase of neck extension/retraction towards the frontal middle position.
NM-PC
Container
Configuration phase of neck extension/retraction towards the frontal middle position.

Annotation -- Head posture