A method of one shot joint instance and pose recognition in an artificial neural network is presented. The method includes receiving a reference instance of a reference object from a reference image. The reference object has a first identity and a first pose in the reference instance. The method also includes generating a first orbit of the reference object comprising multiple additional poses including a second pose for the reference object. The method further includes recognizing a second instance of an example object from an example image. The example object has the first identity and the second pose in the second instance. The method still further includes recognizing the second pose and first identity of the example object based on comparing the first orbit with a second orbit of the example object.