Pose Estimation
Pose estimation is a task that involves identifying the location of specific points in an image, usually referred to as keypoints. The keypoints can represent various parts of the object such as joints, landmarks, or other distinctive features. The locations of the keypoints are usually represented as a set of 2D [x, y]
or 3D [x, y, visible]
coordinates.
The output of a pose estimation model is a set of points that represent the keypoints on an object in the image, usually along with the confidence scores for each point. Pose estimation is a good choice when you need to identify specific parts of an object in a scene, and their location in relation to each other.
Watch: Pose Estimation with Ultralytics YOLO. | Watch: Pose Estimation with Ultralytics HUB. |
Tip
YOLO11 pose models use the -pose
suffix, i.e. yolo11n-pose.pt
. These models are trained on the COCO keypoints dataset and are suitable for a variety of pose estimation tasks.
In the default YOLO11 pose model, there are 17 keypoints, each representing a different part of the human body. Here is the mapping of each index to its respective body joint:
0: Nose 1: Left Eye 2: Right Eye 3: Left Ear 4: Right Ear 5: Left Shoulder 6: Right Shoulder 7: Left Elbow 8: Right Elbow 9: Left Wrist 10: Right Wrist 11: Left Hip 12: Right Hip 13: Left Knee 14: Right Knee 15: Left Ankle 16: Right Ankle
Models
YOLO11 pretrained Pose models are shown here. Detect, Segment and Pose models are pretrained on the COCO dataset, while Classify models are pretrained on the ImageNet dataset.
Models download automatically from the latest Ultralytics release on first use.
Model | size (pixels) | mAPpose 50-95 | mAPpose 50 | Speed CPU ONNX (ms) | Speed T4 TensorRT10 (ms) | params (M) | FLOPs (B) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
YOLO11n-pose | 640 | 50.0 | 81.0 | 52.4 ± 0.5 | 1.7 ± 0.0 | 2.9 | 7.6 |
YOLO11s-pose | 640 | 58.9 | 86.3 | 90.5 ± 0.6 | 2.6 ± 0.0 | 9.9 | 23.2 |
YOLO11m-pose | 640 | 64.9 | 89.4 | 187.3 ± 0.8 | 4.9 ± 0.1 | 20.9 | 71.7 |
YOLO11l-pose | 640 | 66.1 | 89.9 | 247.7 ± 1.1 | 6.4 ± 0.1 | 26.2 | 90.7 |
YOLO11x-pose | 640 | 69.5 | 91.1 | 488.0 ± 13.9 | 12.1 ± 0.2 | 58.8 | 203.3 |
- mAPval values are for single-model single-scale on COCO Keypoints val2017 dataset.
Reproduce byyolo val pose data=coco-pose.yaml device=0
- Speed averaged over COCO val images using an Amazon EC2 P4d instance.
Reproduce byyolo val pose data=coco-pose.yaml batch=1 device=0|cpu
Train
Train a YOLO11-pose model on the COCO8-pose dataset.
Example
from ultralytics import YOLO
# Load a model
model = YOLO("yolo11n-pose.yaml") # build a new model from YAML
model = YOLO("yolo11n-pose.pt") # load a pretrained model (recommended for training)
model = YOLO("yolo11n-pose.yaml").load("yolo11n-pose.pt") # build from YAML and transfer weights
# Train the model
results = model.train(data="coco8-pose.yaml", epochs=100, imgsz=640)
# Build a new model from YAML and start training from scratch
yolo pose train data=coco8-pose.yaml model=yolo11n-pose.yaml epochs=100 imgsz=640
# Start training from a pretrained *.pt model
yolo pose train data=coco8-pose.yaml model=yolo11n-pose.pt epochs=100 imgsz=640
# Build a new model from YAML, transfer pretrained weights to it and start training
yolo pose train data=coco8-pose.yaml model=yolo11n-pose.yaml pretrained=yolo11n-pose.pt epochs=100 imgsz=640
Dataset format
YOLO pose dataset format can be found in detail in the Dataset Guide. To convert your existing dataset from other formats (like COCO etc.) to YOLO format, please use JSON2YOLO tool by Ultralytics.
Val
Validate trained YOLO11n-pose model accuracy on the COCO8-pose dataset. No arguments are needed as the model
retains its training data
and arguments as model attributes.
Example
from ultralytics import YOLO
# Load a model
model = YOLO("yolo11n-pose.pt") # load an official model
model = YOLO("path/to/best.pt") # load a custom model
# Validate the model
metrics = model.val() # no arguments needed, dataset and settings remembered
metrics.box.map # map50-95
metrics.box.map50 # map50
metrics.box.map75 # map75
metrics.box.maps # a list contains map50-95 of each category
Predict
Use a trained YOLO11n-pose model to run predictions on images.
Example
See full predict
mode details in the Predict page.
Export
Export a YOLO11n Pose model to a different format like ONNX, CoreML, etc.
Example
Available YOLO11-pose export formats are in the table below. You can export to any format using the format
argument, i.e. format='onnx'
or format='engine'
. You can predict or validate directly on exported models, i.e. yolo predict model=yolo11n-pose.onnx
. Usage examples are shown for your model after export completes.
Format | format Argument | Model | Metadata | Arguments |
---|---|---|---|---|
PyTorch | - | yolo11n-pose.pt | ✅ | - |
TorchScript | torchscript | yolo11n-pose.torchscript | ✅ | imgsz , optimize , batch |
ONNX | onnx | yolo11n-pose.onnx | ✅ | imgsz , half , dynamic , simplify , opset , batch |
OpenVINO | openvino | yolo11n-pose_openvino_model/ | ✅ | imgsz , half , int8 , batch |
TensorRT | engine | yolo11n-pose.engine | ✅ | imgsz , half , dynamic , simplify , workspace , int8 , batch |
CoreML | coreml | yolo11n-pose.mlpackage | ✅ | imgsz , half , int8 , nms , batch |
TF SavedModel | saved_model | yolo11n-pose_saved_model/ | ✅ | imgsz , keras , int8 , batch |
TF GraphDef | pb | yolo11n-pose.pb | ❌ | imgsz , batch |
TF Lite | tflite | yolo11n-pose.tflite | ✅ | imgsz , half , int8 , batch |
TF Edge TPU | edgetpu | yolo11n-pose_edgetpu.tflite | ✅ | imgsz |
TF.js | tfjs | yolo11n-pose_web_model/ | ✅ | imgsz , half , int8 , batch |
PaddlePaddle | paddle | yolo11n-pose_paddle_model/ | ✅ | imgsz , batch |
MNN | mnn | yolo11n-pose.mnn | ✅ | imgsz , batch , int8 , half |
NCNN | ncnn | yolo11n-pose_ncnn_model/ | ✅ | imgsz , half , batch |
IMX500 | imx | yolo11n-pose_imx_model/ | ✅ | imgsz , int8 |
See full export
details in the Export page.
FAQ
What is Pose Estimation with Ultralytics YOLO11 and how does it work?
Pose estimation with Ultralytics YOLO11 involves identifying specific points, known as keypoints, in an image. These keypoints typically represent joints or other important features of the object. The output includes the [x, y]
coordinates and confidence scores for each point. YOLO11-pose models are specifically designed for this task and use the -pose
suffix, such as yolo11n-pose.pt
. These models are pre-trained on datasets like COCO keypoints and can be used for various pose estimation tasks. For more information, visit the Pose Estimation Page.
How can I train a YOLO11-pose model on a custom dataset?
Training a YOLO11-pose model on a custom dataset involves loading a model, either a new model defined by a YAML file or a pre-trained model. You can then start the training process using your specified dataset and parameters.
from ultralytics import YOLO
# Load a model
model = YOLO("yolo11n-pose.yaml") # build a new model from YAML
model = YOLO("yolo11n-pose.pt") # load a pretrained model (recommended for training)
# Train the model
results = model.train(data="your-dataset.yaml", epochs=100, imgsz=640)
For comprehensive details on training, refer to the Train Section.
How do I validate a trained YOLO11-pose model?
Validation of a YOLO11-pose model involves assessing its accuracy using the same dataset parameters retained during training. Here's an example:
from ultralytics import YOLO
# Load a model
model = YOLO("yolo11n-pose.pt") # load an official model
model = YOLO("path/to/best.pt") # load a custom model
# Validate the model
metrics = model.val() # no arguments needed, dataset and settings remembered
For more information, visit the Val Section.
Can I export a YOLO11-pose model to other formats, and how?
Yes, you can export a YOLO11-pose model to various formats like ONNX, CoreML, TensorRT, and more. This can be done using either Python or the Command Line Interface (CLI).
from ultralytics import YOLO
# Load a model
model = YOLO("yolo11n-pose.pt") # load an official model
model = YOLO("path/to/best.pt") # load a custom trained model
# Export the model
model.export(format="onnx")
Refer to the Export Section for more details.
What are the available Ultralytics YOLO11-pose models and their performance metrics?
Ultralytics YOLO11 offers various pretrained pose models such as YOLO11n-pose, YOLO11s-pose, YOLO11m-pose, among others. These models differ in size, accuracy (mAP), and speed. For instance, the YOLO11n-pose model achieves a mAPpose50-95 of 50.4 and an mAPpose50 of 80.1. For a complete list and performance details, visit the Models Section.