Annotation -- Arms posture

Group: Arms 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).

Arms and hand posture units (-PU) are coded in a number of general categories and exclude the particular hand-fingers configuration.

In addition, shoulder posture units (-PU) are defined for each direction (e.g. left, right) 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 coded postures (e.g. arms crossed, shoulder up) always refer to the end position.

Finally, the configuration of the resting position of the arms (including shoulders) is coded as symmetrical or asymmetrical.

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 posture. It is thus possible that a posture of a body part (e.g. one arm holds other in front) is not broken off by an action by that body part. When the end of the posture is cut off by the video boundary, the last frame has to be coded as the offset.

Nodes
LA side
Container
Left arm at side. The left arm and hand hangs at the side of the body.
LA side-T
Container
Transition phase of left arm at side.
LA side-C
Container
Configuration phase of left arm at side.
LA front
Container
Left arm held in front. The left hand and/or arm is held in front of the body.
LA front-T
Container
Transition phase of left arm held in front.
LA front-C
Container
Configuration phase of left arm held in front.
LA back
Container
Left arm held behind back. The left hand and/or arm is held behind the back.
LA back-T
Container
Transition phase of left arm held behind back.
LA back-C
Container
Configuration phase of left arm held behind back.
LH pocket
Container
Left hand in pocket. The left hand (or a part of it) is in the pocket.
LH pocket-T
Container
Transition phase of left hand in pocket.
LH pocket-C
Container
Configuration phase of left hand in pocket.
LH waist
Container
Left hand at waist. The left hand rests on the hip.
LH waist-T
Container
Transition phase of left hand at waist.
LH waist-C
Container
Configuration phase of left hand at waist.
LH neck
Container
Left hand at back of head/neck. The left hand is held behind the back of the head or neck.
LH neck-T
Container
Transition phase of left hand at back of head/neck.
LH neck-C
Container
Configuration phase of left hand at back of head/neck.
RA side
Container
Right arm at side. The right arm and hand hangs at the side of the body.
RA side-T
Container
Transition phase of right arm at side.
RA side-C
Container
Configuration phase of right arm at side.
RA front
Container
Right arm held in front. The right hand and/or arm is held in front of the body.
RA front-T
Container
Transition phase of right arm held in front.
RA front-C
Container
Configuration phase of right arm held in front.
RA back
Container
Right arm held behind back. The right hand and/or arm is held behind the back.
RA back-T
Container
Transition phase of right arm held behind back.
RA back-C
Container
Configuration phase of right arm held behind back.
RH pocket
Container
Right hand in pocket. The right hand (or a part of it) is in the pocket.
RH pocket-T
Container
Transition phase of right hand in pocket.
RH pocket-C
Container
Configuration phase of right hand in pocket.
RH waist
Container
Right hand at waist. The right hand rests on the hip.
RH waist-T
Container
Transition phase of right hand at waist.
RH waist-C
Container
Configuration phase of right hand at waist.
RH neck
Container
Right hand at back of head/neck. The right hand is held behind the back of the head or neck.
RH neck-T
Container
Transition phase of right hand at back of head/neck.
RH neck-C
Container
Configuration phase of right hand at back of head/neck.
AA crossed
Container
The arms are crossed in front of the body.
AA crossed-T
Container
Transition phase of arms crossed.
AA crossed-C
Container
Configuration phase of arms crossed.
AA front
Container
Both arms held in front. Both hands and/or arms hold each other in front of the body.
AA front-T
Container
Transition phase of both arms held in front.
AA front-C
Container
Configuration phase of both arms held in front.
A hold A front
Container
One arm holds other in front. One arm rests on the other or is held by the other in front of the body.
A hold A front-T
Container
Transition phase of one arm holds other in front.
A hold A front-C
Container
Configuration phase of one arm holds other in front.
A hold A back
Container
One arm holds other in back. One arm rests on the other or is held by the other behind the back.
A hold A back-T
Container
Transition phase of one arm holds other in back.
A hold A back-C
Container
Configuration phase of one arm holds other in back.
LSU
Container
Left shoulder up. The left shoulder is lifted up relative to the anatomical standard position.
LSU-T
Container
Transition phase of left shoulder up.
LSU-C
Container
Configuration phase of left shoulder up.
LSD
Container
Left shoulder down. The left shoulder is dropped down, lowered to the ground relative to the anatomical standard position.
LSD-T
Container
Transition phase of left shoulder down.
LSD-C
Container
Configuration phase of left shoulder down.
LSF
Container
Left shoulder to the front. The left shoulder is put to the front relative to the anatomical standard position.
LSF-T
Container
Transition phase of left shoulder to the front.
LSF-C
Container
Configuration phase of left shoulder to the front.
LSB
Container
Left shoulder to the back. The left shoulder is pulled back relative to the anatomical standard position.
LSB-T
Container
Transition phase of left shoulder to the back.
LSB-C
Container
Configuration phase of left shoulder to the back.
RSU
Container
Right shoulder up. The right shoulder is lifted up relative to the anatomical standard position.
RSU-T
Container
Transition phase of right shoulder up.
RSU-C
Container
Configuration phase of right shoulder up.
RSD
Container
Right shoulder down. The right shoulder is dropped down, lowered to the ground relative to the anatomical standard position.
RSD-T
Container
Transition phase of right shoulder down.
RSD-C
Container
Configuration phase of right shoulder down.
RSF
Container
Right shoulder to the front. The right shoulder is put to the front relative to the anatomical standard position.
RSF-T
Container
Transition phase of right shoulder to the front.
RSF-C
Container
Configuration phase of right shoulder to the front.
RSB
Container
Right shoulder to the back. The right shoulder is pulled back relative to the anatomical standard position.
RSB-T
Container
Transition phase of right shoulder to the back.
RSB-C
Container
Configuration phase of right shoulder to the back.
AA sym
Container
Symmetrical arms posture. When both arms are in resting configuration, the symmetrical quality of the alignment is coded from the anatomical reference point (vertical axis). This category excludes the particular hand shape, and includes the shoulders and elbows. The onset is the starting point where both arms are symmetrically aligned. The offset is the time-point when due to an arm or shoulder movement (action or postural shift) the alignment is no longer symmetrical.
AA asym
Container
Asymmetrical arms posture. When both arms are in resting configuration, the symmetrical quality of the alignment is coded from the anatomical reference point (vertical axis). This category excludes the particular hand shape, and includes the shoulders and elbows. The onset is the starting point where both arms are asymmetrically aligned. The offset is the time-point when due to an arm or shoulder movement (action or postural shift) the alignment is symmetrical.

Annotation -- Arms posture