Rigid Body Transformations

Two distinct positions and orientations of the same rigid body

1
 Reference Frames
We associate with any position and orientation a reference frame

In reference frame {A}, we can find three linearly

independent vectors a1, a2, and a3 that are basis vectors.
We can write any vector as a linear
combination of the basis vectors in either
frame.

v = v1 a1 + v2 a2 + v3a3
a3
a2 b3
b2
a1
b1

A B

2
 Notation
Vectors
Potential for Confusion!
● x, y, a, …
● Ax Reference Frames
● u, v, p, q, … ● A, B, C, …
● a, b, c, …

Matrices Transformations
● A, B, C, … ● AAB ARB AξB
● Aab Rab
● gab, hab, …
3
 Rigid Body Displacement
Object
O ⊂ R3
R3 t
Rigid Body Displacement
€ Map
g : O → R3 O

Rigid Body Motion

Continuous family of maps
3
g (t ) : O → R

4
Example

5
 Rigid Body Displacement
A displacement is a transformations of points
● Transformation (g) of points induces an action
(g*) on vectors
g

p v
g (p)
q
g* (v)

g (q)

6
What makes g a rigid body
displacement?
g

p v
g (p)
q
g* (v)

g (q)

kg(p) g(q)k = kp qk

1. Lengths are preserved

7
What makes g a rigid body
displacement?
g
p v
g (p)
w
q g* (w)
r
g* (v)

g (q)

g? (v) ⇥ g? (w) = g? (v ⇥ w)

2. Cross products are preserved

8
 g is a rigid body displacement
a3
b3
a2 mutually orthogonal unit
b1
vectors get mapped to
a1 mutually orthogonal unit
b2 vectors

You should be able to prove

- orthogonal vectors are mapped to orthogonal vectors

- g* preserves inner products

g? (v) · g? (w) = g? (v · w) 9
 Summary

Rigid body displacements are

transformations (maps) that satisfy two
important properties

1. The map preserves lengths

2. Cross products are preserved by

the induced map

10
 Note

Rigid body displacements and rigid body

transformations are used interchangeably

1. Transformations generally used to describe relationship

between reference frames attached to different rigid bodies.

2. Displacements describe relationships between two positions

and orientation of a frame attached to a displaced rigid body

11
 g is a rigid body displacement
g
a3 mutually
b3 orthogonal,
a2
b1 unit vectors
mutually
orthogonal, a1
unit vectors {A}
{B} b2

b1 = R11 a1 + R12 a2 + R13 a3 2 3

b2 = R21 a1 + R22 a2 + R23 a3 R11 R12 R13
b3 = R31 a1 + R32 a2 + R33 a3 R = 4R21 R22 R23 5
R31 R32 R33
rotation matrix

12
 Properties of a Rotation Matrix
● Orthogonal
▼ Matrix times its transpose equals the identity

● Special orthogonal
▼ Determinant is +1

● Closed under multiplication

▼ The product of any two rotation matrices is another rotation matrix

● The inverse of a rotation matrix is also a rotation

matrix

13
 g is a rigid body displacement
g
a3
Q
b3
{A}
a2
P b1 Q
P
P is a reference point a1
fixed to the object, Q is {B} b2
a generic point attached
to the object.

! !
P Q = q1 a1 + q2 a2 + q3 a3 P Q = q1 b1 + q2 b2 + q3 b3

14
 g is a rigid body displacement

a3
Q
Q’ !
{A} P Q = q1 a1 + q2 a2 + q3 a3
P
a2 !0
P Q = q10 a1 + q20 a2 + q30 a3
a1

2 03 2 32 3 2 3 2 32 03
q1 ? ? ? q1 q1 ? ? ? q1
4q20 5 = 4? ? ?5 4q2 5 or 4q2 5 = 4? ? ?5 4q20 5
q30 ? ? ? q3 q3 ? ? ? q30
15
 g is a rigid body displacement

a3
Q
Q’ !
{A} P Q = q1 a1 + q2 a2 + q3 a3
P
a2 !0
P Q = q10 a1 + q20 a2 + q30 a3
a1

2 3 2 32 03
Verify q1 R11 R12 R13 q1
4q2 5 = 4R21 R22 R23 5 4q20 5
q3 R31 R32 R33 q30
rotation matrix 16
 Example: Rotation
● Rotation about the x-axis through θ
a3 " 1 %
0 0
$ '
Rot ( x, θ ) = $ 0 cosθ −sin θ '
z $ 0 sin θ
# cosθ '
&

z
θ
a2
y
y
x
x
a1

17
 Example: Rotation
Rotation about the y-axis through θ Rotation about the z-axis through θ

" cosθ 0 sin θ % " cosθ −sin θ 0 %

$ ' $ '
Rot ( y, θ ) = $ 0 1 0 ' Rot ( z, θ ) = $ sin θ cosθ 0 '
$ −sin θ 0 cosθ ' $ 0 0 1 '
# & # &

x
x' x
z'
x' θ
θ
z z

y y
y'
18