More on Representation of

Orientation

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Number of independent elements in a rotation matrix

There are nine elements of a rotation matrix.

There are six dependences between the elements:

● All column vectors are unit vectors -- three dependences (magnitude is 1)

● All column vectors are mutually perpendicular to each other -- there
dependences (dot product is 0)

Hence, there are three independent elements.

Rotation matrix can be specified with only three parameters.

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Rotation don’t generally commute.
The order of multiplication matters.

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X-Y-Z Fixed Angles (roll-pitch-yaw angles)

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X-Y-Z Fixed Angles (roll-pitch-yaw angles)
Each rotation is performed about an axis of the fixed reference frame.

Start with {B} coincident with a known reference frame {A}.

● First, rotate {B} about x-axis of {A} by an angle 𝛾
● Then about y-axis of {A} by an angle 𝛽
● Finally, about z-axis of {A} by an angle 𝛼

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X-Y-Z Fixed Angles (roll-pitch-yaw angles)
The derivation of the equivalent rotation matrix is to treat each rotation as an
rotation operator.

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X-Y-Z Fixed Angles (roll-pitch-yaw angles)
Extracting equivalent X-Y-Z fixed angles from a rotation matrix.

There are two sets of solution when cos𝜷 ≠ 0

or

Atan2(y,x) computes but uses the signs of both x and y to identify the
quadrant where the resulting angle lines. 7
X-Y-Z Fixed Angles (roll-pitch-yaw angles)
Special case: when cos𝛽 = 0

● If 𝛽 = 90o, we take 𝛼 = 0, 𝛾 = Atan2(r12, r22)

● If 𝛽 = -90o, we take 𝛼 = 0, 𝛾 = -Atan2(r12, r22)

There are 12 different fixed angles representations. (See appendix B of text book)

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Z-Y-X Euler Angles

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Z-Y-X Euler Angles
Each rotation is performed about an axis of the moving frame {B}. Each rotation takes places about an
axis whose locations depends upon the preceding rotations.
Start with {B} coincident with a known reference frame {A}.
● First, rotate {B} about z-axis of {B} by an angle 𝛼
● Then about y-axis of {B} by an angle 𝛽
● Finally, about x-axis of {B} by an angle 𝛾

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Z-Y-X Euler Angles
The derivation of the equivalent rotation matrix is to treat each rotation as a
description of these frames. {B’} and {B”} are used as intermediate frames.

There are 12 different Euler angles representations. (See appendix B of text book)
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Fixed and Euler Angles
X-Y-Z fixed angles

Z-Y-X Euler angles

Three rotations taken about fixed axes yield the same final orientation as the same three rotations taken in
the opposite order about the axes of the moving frame.

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 Equivalent Angle-Axis Representation
Fixed angles and Euler angles require performing rotations
about principal axes in certain order.

What about the rotation about an axis in a general direction?

Can any orientation be obtained through proper axis and

angle selection?

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Equivalent Angle-Axis Representation
Rx(30o) gives the description of an orientation by using a x-axis and a 30o angle.

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Equivalent Angle-Axis Representation
Start with {B) coincident with a known frame {A}. Rotate {B} about the vector by
an angle 𝛳 according to the right-hand rule.

A general orientation of {B} relative to {A} may be written as

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Equivalent Angle-Axis Representation
Exacting rotation the axis and angle from a given rotation matrix.

For any axis-angle pair (k, 𝛳),

there is another pair (-k, -𝛳),
which results in the same
orientation in space.

We are faced with choosing

between solutions.

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Example
{B} is initially coincident with {A}. Then {B} is rotated about the vector
k=[0.707 0.707 0]T (passing through the origin) by 𝛳 = 30o.
Compute the description of {B}.

There is no translation of the origin, so the position vector part of the transform are
zeros.
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Example
A rotation about an axis that does not pass through the origin causes a change in
position in addition to the orientation. (This orientation is the same orientation as if
the axis had passed through the origin.)

A frame {B} is initially coincident with {A}. Then {B} is rotated about the vector
k=[0.707 0.707 0]T (passing through the point ) by 𝛳 = 30o.
Compute the description of {B}

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Add two new intermediate frames {A’} and {B’}, which are coincident with each
other and have the same orientations as {A} and {B} respectively, but translated
relative to {A} to the origins on the axis of rotations.

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Rotate {B’} relative to {A’}. This is a rotation about an axis that passes through the
origin.

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