Maths - Matrix algebra - Examples 90 degree steps (original) (raw)
In order to try to explain things and give some examples we can try I thought it might help to show the rotations for a finite subset of the rotation group. We will use the set of rotations of a cube onto itself, this is a permutation group which gives 24 possible rotations as explaned on this page.
Heading applied first giving 4 possible orientations:
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Then apply attitude +90 degrees for each of the above: (note: that if we went on to apply bank to these it would just rotate between these values, the straight up and streight down orientations are known as singularities because they can be fully defined without using the bank value)
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Or instead apply attitude -90 degrees (also a singularity):
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Normally we dont go beond attitude + or - 90 degrees because thes are singularities, instead apply bank +90 degrees:
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Apply bank +180 degrees:
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Apply bank -90 degrees:
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| | | | reference orientation |
rotate by 90 degrees about x axis |
rotate by 180 degrees about x axis |
rotate by 270 degrees about x axis | |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| | |
rotate by 90 degrees about z axis |
rotate by 90 degrees about y axis | | | | |
| |
rotate by 180 degrees about z axis | |
rotate by 180 degrees about y axis | | | | |
|
rotate by 270 degrees about z axis | | |
rotate by 270 degrees about y axis | | | |
When we combine these rotations about the x,y and z axies in 90 degree multiples there are 24 possible orientations as shown here:
encoding of these rotations in quaternions is shown here.
encoding of these rotations in axis-angle is shown here.
encoding of these rotations in euler angles is shown here.
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