Apply rotation in three-dimensional space through complex vectors
Quaternions are vectors used for computing rotations in mechanics, aerospace, computer graphics, vision processing, and other applications. They consist of four elements: three that extend the commonly known imaginary number and one that defines the magnitude of rotation. Quaternions are commonly denoted as:
\[q=w+x\mathbf{i}+y\mathbf{j}+z\mathbf{k}\quad\text{where}\quad \mathbf{i}^2=\mathbf{j}^2=\mathbf{k}^2=\mathbf{i}\mathbf{j}\mathbf{k}=-1\]
This rotation format requires less computation than a rotation matrix.
Common tasks for using quaternion include:
- Converting between quaternions, rotation matrices, and direction cosine matrices
- Performing quaternion math such as norm inverse and rotation
- Simulating premade six degree-of freedom (6DoF) models built with quaternion math
Examples
- Quaternion Estimate from Measured Rates in Simulink (Example)
- Astrium Creates Two-Way Laser Optical Link Between an Aircraft and a Communication Satellite (User Story)
- Coordinate Systems for Navigation in Aerospace Applications (Example)
- Rotations, Orientation, and Quaternions for Sensor Fusion and Tracking Applications (Example)
Software Reference
- Quaternion Math and Functions in Aerospace Toolbox (Documentation)
- 6DoF (Quaternion) (Documentation)
- Convert Quaternion to Rotation Angles (Function)
See also: Euler angles, linearization, numerical analysis, design optimization, real-time simulation, Monte Carlo simulation, model-based testing, Aerospace Toolbox, Aerospace Blockset, Sensor Fusion and Tracking Toolbox