Homework #1

1. A vector A P is rotated about Zˆ A by  degrees and is subsequently rotated about Xˆ A by 

degrees. Give the rotation matrix that accomplishes these rotations in the given order.

2. A frame {B} is located initially coincident with a frame {A}. We rotate {B} about Zˆ B by 
degrees, and then we rotate the resulting frame about Xˆ B by  degrees. Give the rotation matrix
that will change the descriptions of vectors from to B P to A P .

4. The following frame definitions are given as known:

0.866 0.5 0 11 1 0 0 0 

 0.5 0.866 0 1 0 0.866 0.5 10 
AT 
U   , BAT   ,
 0 0 1 9 0 0.5 0.866 20 
   
 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 
0.866 0.5 0 3
 0.433 0.750 0.5 3
UT 
C  
 0.25 0.433 0.866 3 
 
 0 0 0 1
Draw a diagram to show the relations of the coordinate and compute CBT .
 Solution
Solution of Problem 1:

𝑅 = 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑋̂ , 𝜙)𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑍̂, 𝜃)
1 0 0 𝐶𝜃 −𝑆𝜃 0
= [0 𝐶𝜙 −𝑆𝜙 ] [ 𝑆𝜃 𝐶𝜃 0]
0 𝑆𝜙 𝐶𝜙 0 0 1
𝐶𝜃 −𝑆 𝜃 0
= [𝐶𝜙 𝑆𝜃 𝐶𝜙 𝐶𝜃 −𝑆𝜙 ]
𝑆𝜙 𝑆𝜃 𝑆𝜙 𝐶𝜃 𝐶𝜙

Solution of Problem 2:
Since rotations are performed about axes of the frame being rotated, these are Euler-Angle style
rotations:

𝑅 = 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑍̂, 𝜃) 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑋̂, 𝜙)
We might also use the following reasoning:
𝐴
𝐵 𝑅 (𝜃, 𝜙) = 𝐵𝐴𝑅 −1 (𝜃, 𝜙)
−1
= [𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑋̂, −𝜙) 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑍̂, −𝜃)]

= 𝑅𝑂𝑇 −1 (𝑍̂, −𝜃) 𝑅𝑂𝑇 −1 (𝑋̂ , −𝜙)

= 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑍̂, 𝜃) 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑋̂, 𝜙)
Yet another way of viewing the same operation:

1𝑠𝑡 Rotation by 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑍̂, 𝜃)

2𝑛𝑑 Rotation by 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑍̂, 𝜃) 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑋̂, 𝜙) 𝑅𝑂𝑇 −1 (𝑍, 𝜃)

(This is a similarity transform)
Composing these two rotations:

= 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑍̂, 𝜃) 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑋̂, 𝜙) 𝑅𝑂𝑇 −1 (𝑍, 𝜃) 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑍̂, 𝜃)

= 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑍̂, 𝜃) 𝑅𝑂𝑇(𝑋̂, 𝜙)

𝐶𝜃 −𝑆𝜃 0 1 0 0
[
= 𝑆𝜃 𝐶𝜃 0 ] [0 𝐶𝜙 −𝑆𝜙 ]
0 0 1 0 𝑆𝜙 𝐶𝜙
𝐶𝜃 −𝑆𝜃 𝐶𝜙 𝑆𝜃 𝑆𝜙
= [ 𝑆𝜃 𝐶𝜃 𝐶𝜙 −𝐶𝜃 𝑆𝜙 ]
0 𝑆𝜙 𝐶𝜙