diff --git a/movement/kinematics.py b/movement/kinematics.py
index f74b50c13..d64676db0 100644
--- a/movement/kinematics.py
+++ b/movement/kinematics.py
@@ -948,3 +948,59 @@ def _compute_scaled_path_length(
     valid_proportion = valid_segments / (data.sizes["time"] - 1)
     # return scaled path length
     return compute_norm(displacement).sum(dim="time") / valid_proportion
+
+
+def detect_u_turns(
+    data: xr.DataArray,
+    use_direction: Literal["forward_vector", "displacement"] = "displacement",
+    u_turn_threshold: float = np.pi * 5 / 6,  # 150 degrees in radians
+    camera_view: Literal["top_down", "bottom_up"] = "bottom_up",
+) -> xr.DataArray:
+    """Detect U-turn behavior in a trajectory.
+
+    This function computes the directional change between consecutive time
+    frames and accumulates the rotation angles. If the accumulated angle
+    exceeds a specified threshold, a U-turn is detected.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    data : xarray.DataArray
+        The trajectory data, which must contain the 'time' and 'space' (x, y).
+    use_direction : Literal["forward_vector", "displacement"], optional
+        Method to compute direction vectors, default is `"displacement"`:
+        - `"forward_vector"`: Computes the forward direction vector.
+        - `"displacement"`: Computes displacement vectors.
+    u_turn_threshold : float, optional
+        The angle threshold (in radians) to detect U-turn. Default is (`5π/6`).
+
+    camera_view : Literal["top_down", "bottom_up"], optional
+        Specifies the camera perspective used for computing direction vectors.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    xarray.DataArray
+        Indicating whether a U-turn has occurred (`True` for a U-turn).
+
+    """
+    # Compute direction vectors based on the chosen method
+    if use_direction == "forward_vector":
+        direction_vectors = compute_forward_vector(
+            data, "left_ear", "right_ear", camera_view=camera_view
+        )
+    elif use_direction == "displacement":
+        direction_vectors = compute_displacement(data)
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(
+            "The parameter `use_direction` must be one of `forward_vector` "
+            f" or `displacement`, but got {use_direction}."
+        )
+
+    angles = compute_signed_angle_2d(
+        direction_vectors.shift(time=1), direction_vectors
+    )
+    cumulative_rotation = angles.cumsum(dim="time")
+    rotation_range = cumulative_rotation.max(
+        dim="time"
+    ) - cumulative_rotation.min(dim="time")
+    u_turn_detected = rotation_range >= u_turn_threshold
+    return u_turn_detected
diff --git a/tests/test_unit/test_kinematics.py b/tests/test_unit/test_kinematics.py
index 30493a5fc..6a7df0852 100644
--- a/tests/test_unit/test_kinematics.py
+++ b/tests/test_unit/test_kinematics.py
@@ -913,3 +913,80 @@ def test_casts_from_tuple(
 
         xr.testing.assert_allclose(pass_numpy, pass_tuple)
         xr.testing.assert_allclose(pass_numpy, pass_list)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def valid_data_array_for_u_turn_detection():
+    """Return a position data array for an individual with 3 keypoints
+    (left ear, right ear, and nose), tracked for 4 frames, in x-y space.
+    """
+    time = [0, 1, 2, 3]
+    keypoints = ["left_ear", "right_ear", "nose"]
+    space = ["x", "y"]
+
+    ds = xr.DataArray(
+        [
+            [[-1, 0], [1, 0], [0, 1]],  # time 0
+            [[0, 2], [0, 0], [1, 1]],  # time 1
+            [[2, 1], [0, 1], [1, 0]],  # time 2
+            [[1, -1], [1, 1], [0, 0]],  # time 3
+        ],
+        dims=["time", "keypoints", "space"],
+        coords={
+            "time": time,
+            "keypoints": keypoints,
+            "space": space,
+        },
+    )
+    return ds
+
+
+def test_detect_u_turns(valid_data_array_for_u_turn_detection):
+    """Test that U-turn detection works correctly using a mock dataset."""
+    u_turn_forward_vector = kinematics.detect_u_turns(
+        valid_data_array_for_u_turn_detection, use_direction="forward_vector"
+    )
+    nose_data = valid_data_array_for_u_turn_detection.sel(
+        keypoints="nose"
+    ).drop("keypoints")
+    u_turn_displacement = kinematics.detect_u_turns(
+        nose_data, use_direction="displacement"
+    )
+
+    # Known expected U-turn detection results
+    known_u_turn_displacement = np.array(
+        [True]
+    )  # Example expected result for displacement
+    known_u_turn_forward_vector = np.array(
+        [True]
+    )  # Example expected result for forward_vector
+
+    assert np.all(u_turn_displacement.values == known_u_turn_displacement)
+    assert np.all(u_turn_forward_vector.values == known_u_turn_forward_vector)
+
+    u_turn_forward_vector = kinematics.detect_u_turns(
+        valid_data_array_for_u_turn_detection,
+        use_direction="forward_vector",
+        u_turn_threshold=np.pi * 7 / 6,
+    )
+    nose_data = valid_data_array_for_u_turn_detection.sel(
+        keypoints="nose"
+    ).drop("keypoints")
+    u_turn_displacement = kinematics.detect_u_turns(
+        nose_data, use_direction="displacement", u_turn_threshold=np.pi * 7 / 6
+    )
+    known_u_turn_displacement = np.array([False])
+    known_u_turn_forward_vector = np.array([True])
+    assert np.all(u_turn_displacement.values == known_u_turn_displacement)
+    assert np.all(u_turn_forward_vector.values == known_u_turn_forward_vector)
+    with pytest.raises(
+        ValueError,
+        match=(
+            "The parameter `use_direction` must be one of `forward_vector` "
+            " or `displacement`, but got invalid_direction."
+        ),
+    ):
+        kinematics.detect_u_turns(
+            valid_data_array_for_u_turn_detection,
+            use_direction="invalid_direction",
+        )