Pose Estimation and Video Annotation
Approaches for Understanding Individual
and Team Interaction During Augmented
Reality-Enabled Mission Planning
Sue Kase
(B )
, Vincent Perry, Heather Roy, Katherine Cox, and Simon Su
DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, MD 21005, USA
{sue.e.kase.civ,vincent.p.perry7.civ,heather.e.roy2.civ,
katherine.r.cox11.civ,simon.m.su.civ}@mail.mil
Abstract. Two video analysis approaches (pose estimation and manual annota-
tion) were applied to video recordings of two-person teams performing a mis-
sion planning task in a shared augmented reality (AR) environment. The analysis
approaches calculated the distance relations between team members and annotated
observed behaviors during the collaborative task. The 2D pose estimation algo-
rithm lacked scene depth processing; therefore, we found some inconsistencies
with the manual annotation. Although integration of the two analysis approaches
was not possible, each approach by itself produced several insights on team behav-
ior. The manual annotation analysis found four common team behaviors as well as
behavior variations unique to particular teams and temporal situations. Compar-
ing a behavior-based time on task percentage indicated behavior-type connections
and some possible exclusions. The pose estimation analysis found the majority
of the teams moved around the 3D scene at a similar distance apart on average
with similar variation in fluctuation around a common distance range between
team members. Outlying team behavior was detected by both analysis approaches
and included: periods of very low distance relations, infrequent but very high dis-
tance relation spikes, significant task time spent adjusting the HoloLens device
during wearing, and exceptionally long task time with gaps in pose estimation
data processing.
Keywords: Augmented reality · Mission planning · Pose estimation
1 Introduction
The proliferation of immersive technologies (augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality
(VR) systems) has accentuated their potential utilization across a wide range of oper-
ational situations from strategic planning to the tactical edge. However, little is known
about individual performance and especially team collaboration associated with using
immersive technologies. Researchers at DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL)
have been using Microsoft HoloLens devices to investigate AR technology for support-
ing collaborative mission planning. Shared AR spaces, such as simulated operational
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. Y. C. Chen and G. Fragomeni (Eds.): HCII 2021, LNCS 12770, pp. 32–46, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77599-5_3