Screw axis

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A helix on a screw axis

A screw axis (helical axis or twist axis) is a line that is simultaneously the axis
of rotation and the line along which translation of a body occurs. Chasles' theorem
shows that each Euclidean displacement in three-dimensional space has a screw axis,
and the displacement can be decomposed into a rotation about and a slide along this
screw axis.[1][2]

Pl�cker coordinates are used to locate a screw axis in space, and consist of a pair
of three-dimensional vectors. The first vector identifies the direction of the
axis, and the second locates its position. The special case when the first vector
is zero is interpreted as a pure translation in the direction of the second vector.
A screw axis is associated with each pair of vectors in the algebra of screws, also
known as screw theory.[3]

The spatial movement of a body can be represented by a continuous set of

displacements. Because each of these displacements has a screw axis, the movement
has an associated ruled surface known as a screw surface. This surface is not the
same as the axode, which is traced by the instantaneous screw axes of the movement
of a body. The instantaneous screw axis, or 'instantaneous helical axis' (IHA), is
the axis of the helicoidal field generated by the velocities of every point in a
moving body.

When a spatial displacement specializes to a planar displacement, the screw axis

becomes the displacement pole, and the instantaneous screw axis becomes the
velocity pole, or instantaneous center of rotation, also called an instant center.
The term centro is also used for a velocity pole, and the locus of these points for
a planar movement is called a centrode.[4]

Contents
1 History
2 Screw axis symmetry
3 Screw axis of a spatial displacement
3.1 Geometric argument
3.2 Computing a point on the screw axis
4 Dual quaternion
5 Mechanics
5.1 Biomechanics
6 See also
7 References
History
The proof that a spatial displacement can be decomposed into a rotation and slide
around and along a line in space is attributed to Michel Chasles in 1830.[5]
Recently the work of Gulio Mozzi has been identified as presenting a similar result
in 1763.[6][7]

Screw axis symmetry

The Boerdijk�Coxeter helix is an example of a screw axis symmetry that is

nonperiodic.
A screw displacement (also screw operation or rotary translation) is the
composition of a rotation by an angle f about an axis (called the screw axis) with
a translation by a distance d along this axis. A positive rotation direction
usually means one that corresponds to the translation direction by the right-hand
rule. Except for f = 180�, we have to distinguish a screw displacement from its
mirror image. Unlike for rotations, a righthand and lefthand screw operation
generate different groups.

The combination of a rotation about an axis and a translation in a perpendicular

direction is a rotation about a parallel axis. However, a screw operation with a
nonzero translation vector along the axis cannot be reduced like that. Thus the
effect of a rotation combined with any translation is a screw operation in the
general sense, with as special cases a pure translation, a pure rotation and the
identity. Together these are all the direct isometries in 3D.

31 screw axis in crystal structure of tellurium

In crystallography, a screw axis symmetry is a combination of rotation about an
axis and a translation parallel to that axis which leaves a crystal unchanged. If f
= 360�/n for some positive integer n, then screw axis symmetry implies
translational symmetry with a translation vector which is n times that of the screw
displacement.

Applicable for space groups is a rotation by 360�/n about an axis, combined with a
translation along the axis by a multiple of the distance of the translational
symmetry, divided by n. This multiple is indicated by a subscript. So, 63 is a
rotation of 60� combined with a translation of 1/2 of the lattice vector, implying
that there is also 3-fold rotational symmetry about this axis. The possibilities
are 21, 31, 41, 42, 61, 62, and 63, and the enantiomorphous 32, 43, 64, and 65.[8]

A non-discrete screw axis isometry group contains all combinations of a rotation

about some axis and a proportional translation along the axis (in rifling, the
constant of proportionality is called the twist rate); in general this is combined
with k-fold rotational isometries about the same axis (k = 1); the set of images of
a point under the isometries is a k-fold helix; in addition there may be a 2-fold
rotation about a perpendicularly intersecting axis, and hence a k-fold helix of
such axes.

Screw axis of a spatial displacement

Geometric argument
Let D : R3 ? R3 be an orientation-preserving rigid motion of R3. The set of these
transformations is a subgroup of Euclidean motions known as the special Euclidean
group SE(3). These rigid motions are defined by transformations of x in R3 given by

{\displaystyle D(\mathbf {x} )=A(\mathbf {x} )+\mathbf {d} } {\displaystyle

D(\mathbf {x} )=A(\mathbf {x} )+\mathbf {d} }
consisting of a three-dimensional rotation A followed by a translation by the
vector d.

A three-dimensional rotation A has a unique axis that defines a line L. Let the
unit vector along this line be S so that the translation vector d can be resolved
into a sum of two vectors, one parallel and one perpendicular to the axis L, that
is,

{\displaystyle \mathbf {d} =\mathbf {d} _{L}+\mathbf {d} _{\perp },\quad \mathbf
{d} _{L}=(\mathbf {d} \cdot \mathbf {S} )\mathbf {S} ,\quad \mathbf {d} _{\perp }
=\mathbf {d} -\mathbf {d} _{L}.} {\displaystyle \mathbf {d} =\mathbf {d} _{L}
+\mathbf {d} _{\perp },\quad \mathbf {d} _{L}=(\mathbf {d} \cdot \mathbf
{S} )\mathbf {S} ,\quad \mathbf {d} _{\perp }=\mathbf {d} -\mathbf {d} _{L}.}
In this case, the rigid motion takes the form

{\displaystyle D(\mathbf {x} )=(A(\mathbf {x} )+\mathbf {d} _{\perp })+\mathbf {d}
_{L}.} {\displaystyle D(\mathbf {x} )=(A(\mathbf {x} )+\mathbf {d} _{\perp })
+\mathbf {d} _{L}.}
Now, the orientation preserving rigid motion D* = A(x) + d? transforms all the
points of R3 so that they remain in planes perpendicular to L. For a rigid motion
of this type there is a unique point c in the plane P perpendicular to L through 0,
such that

{\displaystyle D^{*}(\mathbf {C} )=A(\mathbf {C} )+\mathbf {d} _{\perp }=\mathbf

{C} .} D^*(\mathbf{C})=A(\mathbf{C})+\mathbf{d}_{\perp}=\mathbf{C}.
The point C can be calculated as

{\displaystyle \mathbf {C} =[I-A]^{-1}\mathbf {d} _{\perp },} \mathbf{C}=[I-A]^{-

1}\mathbf{d}_{\perp},
because d? does not have a component in the direction of the axis of A.

A rigid motion D* with a fixed point must be a rotation of around the axis Lc
through the point c. Therefore, the rigid motion

{\displaystyle D(\mathbf {x} )=D^{*}(\mathbf {x} )+\mathbf {d} _{L},}

D(\mathbf{x})=D^*(\mathbf{x}) + \mathbf{d}_L,
consists of a rotation about the line Lc followed by a translation by the vector dL
in the direction of the line Lc.

Conclusion: every rigid motion of R3 is the result of a rotation of R3 about a line

Lc followed by a translation in the direction of the line. The combination of a
rotation about a line and translation along the line is called a screw motion.

Computing a point on the screw axis

A point C on the screw axis satisfies the equation:[9]

{\displaystyle D^{*}(\mathbf {C} )=A(\mathbf {C} )+\mathbf {d} _{\perp }=\mathbf

{C} .} D^*(\mathbf{C})=A(\mathbf{C})+\mathbf{d}_{\perp}=\mathbf{C}.
Solve this equation for C using Cayley's formula for a rotation matrix

{\displaystyle [A]=[I-B]^{-1}[I+B],} [A]=[I-B]^{-1}[I+B],

where [B] is the skew-symmetric matrix constructed from Rodrigues' vector

{\displaystyle \mathbf {b} =\tan {\frac {\phi }{2}}\mathbf {S} ,}

\mathbf{b}=\tan\frac{\phi}{2}\mathbf{S},
such that

{\displaystyle [B]\mathbf {y} =\mathbf {b} \times \mathbf {y} .}

[B]\mathbf{y}=\mathbf{b}\times\mathbf{y}.
Use this form of the rotation A to obtain

{\displaystyle \mathbf {C} =[I-B]^{-1}[I+B]\mathbf {C} +\mathbf {d} _{\perp },\quad

[I-B]\mathbf {C} =[I+B]\mathbf {C} +[I-B]\mathbf {d} _{\perp },} {\displaystyle
\mathbf {C} =[I-B]^{-1}[I+B]\mathbf {C} +\mathbf {d} _{\perp },\quad [I-B]\mathbf
{C} =[I+B]\mathbf {C} +[I-B]\mathbf {d} _{\perp },}
which becomes

{\displaystyle -2[B]\mathbf {C} =[I-B]\mathbf {d} _{\perp }.} -2[B]\mathbf{C} =[I-

B]\mathbf{d}_{\perp}.
This equation can be solved for C on the screw axis P(t) to obtain,

{\displaystyle \mathbf {C} ={\frac {\mathbf {b} \times \mathbf {d} -\mathbf {b}
\times (\mathbf {b} \times \mathbf {d} )}{2\mathbf {b} \cdot \mathbf {b} }}.}
\mathbf{C} = \frac{\mathbf{b}\times\mathbf{d} -
\mathbf{b}\times(\mathbf{b}\times\mathbf{d})}{2\mathbf{b}\cdot\mathbf{b}}.
The screw axis P(t) = C + tS of this spatial displacement has the Pl�cker
coordinates S = (S, C � S).[9]

Dual quaternion
The screw axis appears in the dual quaternion formulation of a spatial displacement
D = ([A], d). The dual quaternion is constructed from the dual vector S = (S, V)
defining the screw axis and the dual angle (f, d), where f is the rotation about
and d the slide along this axis, which defines the displacement D to obtain,

{\displaystyle {\hat {S}}=\cos {\frac {\hat {\varphi }}{2}}+\sin {\frac {\hat

{\varphi }}{2}}{\mathsf {S}}.} {\displaystyle {\hat {S}}=\cos {\frac {\hat {\varphi
}}{2}}+\sin {\frac {\hat {\varphi }}{2}}{\mathsf {S}}.}
A spatial displacement of points q represented as a vector quaternion can be
defined using quaternions as the mapping

{\displaystyle \mathbf {q} \mapsto S\mathbf {q} S^{-1}+\mathbf {d} } {\displaystyle

\mathbf {q} \mapsto S\mathbf {q} S^{-1}+\mathbf {d} }
where d is translation vector quaternion and S is a unit quaternion, also called a
versor, given by

{\displaystyle S=\cos \theta +\mathbf {S} \sin \theta ,\ \ \mathbf {S} ^{2}=-1,}
S=\cos \theta + \mathbf{S} \sin \theta , \ \ \mathbf{S}^2 = -1 ,
that defines a rotation by 2? around an axis S.

In the proper Euclidean group E+(3) a rotation may be conjugated with a translation
to move it to a parallel rotation axis. Such a conjugation, using quaternion
homographies, produces the appropriate screw axis to express the given spatial
displacement as a screw displacement, in accord with Chasles� theorem.

Mechanics
The motion of a rigid body may be the combination of rotation about an axis (the
screw axis) and a translation along that axis. This screw move is characterized by
the velocity vector for the translation and the angular velocity vector in the same
or opposite direction. If these two vectors are constant and along one of the
principal axes of the body, no external forces are needed for this motion (moving
and spinning). As an example, if gravity and drag are ignored, this is the motion
of a bullet fired from a rifled gun.

Biomechanics
This parameter is often used in biomechanics, when describing the motion of joints
of the body. For any period of time, joint motion can be seen as the movement of a
single point on one articulating surface with respect to the adjacent surface
(usually distal with respect to proximal). The total translation and rotations
along the path of motion can be defined as the time integrals of the instantaneous
translation and rotation velocities at the IHA for a given reference time.[10]

In any single plane, the path formed by the locations of the moving instantaneous
axis of rotation (IAR) is known as the 'centroid', and is used in the description
of joint motion.

See also
Corkscrew (roller coaster element)
Euler's rotation theorem � rotations without translation
Glide reflection
Helical symmetry
Line group
Screw theory
Space group
References
Bottema, O, and B. Roth, Theoretical Kinematics, Dover Publications (September
1990), link to Google books
Hunt, K. H., Kinematic Geometry of Mechanism, Oxford University Press, 1990
R.S. Ball, A Treatise on the Theory of Screws, Hodges, Dublin, 1876, Appendix 1,
University Press, Cambridge, 1900, p. 510
Homer D. Eckhardt, Kinematic Design of Machines and Mechanisms, McGraw-Hill (1998)
p. 63 ISBN 0-07-018953-6 on-line at Google books
M. Chasles, Note sur les Proprietes Generales du Systeme de Deux Corps Semblables
entr'eux, Bullettin de Sciences Mathematiques, Astronomiques Physiques et
Chimiques, Baron de Ferussac, Paris, 1830, pp. 321�326
G. Mozzi, Discorso matematico sopra il rotamento momentaneo dei corpi, Stamperia
di Donato Campo, Napoli, 1763
M. Ceccarelli, Screw axis defined by Giulio Mozzi in 1763 and early studies on
helicoidal motion, Mechanism and Machine Theory 35 (2000) 761-770
Walter Borchardt-Ott (1995). Crystallography. Springer-Verlag. ISBN 3-540-59478-7.
J. M. McCarthy and G. S. Soh, Geometric Design of Linkages, 2nd Edition, Springer
2010
Woltring HJ, de Lange A, Kauer JMG, Huiskes R. 1987 Instantaneous helical axes
estimation via natural, cross-validated splines. In: Bergmann G, K�lbel R, Rohlmann
A (Editors). Biomechanics: Basic and Applied Research. Springer, pp 121-128. full
text
Categories: CrystallographyEuclidean geometryKinematicsMachinesRigid bodiesSymmetry
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