Euler Parameters

Reading material: Chapter 6

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What is Euler Parameters?

• Euler parameters can be considered as an example of the
quaternions (四元數)
• Euler parameters are a normalized form of parameters known
as quaternions (p. 153)
• Euler parameters are widely used in general purpose multibody
computer programs
– to avoid the singularities associated with Euler angles
– to reduce memory in representing rotations ,
– to reduce computation time in actually rotating or updating the
equations of motion

e0 
e 
e  ee00 :: angle
angle of
of rotation
rotation
p =  1 =  0 ee :: an
an unit
unit vector
vector along
along the
the axis
axis of
of rotation
e2  e
rotation
 
 e3  4×1
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 (Review)
The
The configuration
configuration of the body axes
axes w.r.t
w.r.t the
the global
global axes
axes

P = x1 i1 + y1 j1 +z1 k1, in CS1 Eq.(a) z2 z1

P
P = x2 i2 + y2 j2 +z2 k2, in CS2 Eq.(b)
k1
s y2
i2 = ( i2．i1) i1 + ( i2．j1) j1 + ( i2．k1) k1 k2
j2
j2 = ( j2．i1) i1 + ( j2．j1) j1 + ( j2．k1) k1
j3 = ( k2．i1) i1 + ( k2．j1) j1 + ( k2．k1) k1 j1 y1
i1

∴P= [ x2 ( i2．i1 ) + y2 ( j2．i1 )+ z2( k2．i1 ) ] i1 i2

x1
+[ x2 ( i2．j1) + y2 ( j2．j1 )+ z2( k2．j1 ) ] j1
+[ x2 ( i2．k1) + y2 ( j2．k1)+ z2( k2．k1) ] k1 x2
…….Eq.(c)

Comparing Eqs. (c) and (a) leads to

x1= ( i2．i1 ) + y2 ( j2．i1 )+ z2( k2．i1 )
y1 = ( i2．j1) + y2 ( j2．j1 )+ z2( k2．j1 )
z1 = ( i2．k1) + y2 ( j2．k1)+ z2( k2．k1)

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(Review)
The
The configuration
configuration of
of the
the body
body axes
axes w.r.t
w.r.t the
the global
global axes
axes (pure
(pure rotation)
rotation)

x1= ( i2．i1 ) + y2 ( j2．i1 )+ z2( k2．i1 )

y1 = ( i2．j1) + y2 ( j2．j1 )+ z2( k2．j1 )
z1 = ( i2．k1) + y2 ( j2．k1)+ z2( k2．k1)
s = As '
s= [x1,y1,z1]T =coordinate vector in terms of world coordinates
s’ = [x2,y2,z2]T = coordinate vector in terms of body coordinates
A: a rotation matrix representing the orientation of the moving body
 (i 2 • i1 ) ( j2 • i1 ) (k 2 • i1 ) 
A =  (i 2 • j1 ) ( j2 • j1 ) (k 2 • j1 ) 
(i 2 • k 1 ) ( j2 • k 1 ) (k 2 • k 1 )

• Each column of A is a unit vector, and the unit

vectors are orthogonal to each other.
• Similarly, it can be easily derived that s’=ATs
• Thus, A is a orthonormal matrix, i.e., A-1=AT
s ' = A −1s = A T s
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 Practical Consideration

• It is seen that the nine direction cosines in matrix A define the

orientation of a body relative to the global coordinate system.
• A must be a orthogonal matrix, i.e., A-1=AT , or AAT=I
 (i 2 • i1 ) ( j2 • i1 ) (k 2 • i1 )   (i 2 • i1 ) (i 2 • j1 ) (i 2 • k 1 ) 
M = AA T =  (i 2 • j1 ) ( j2 • j1 ) (k 2 • j1 )   ( j2 • i1 ) ( j2 • j1 ) ( j2 • k 1 )  = I
(i 2 • k 1 ) ( j2 • k 1 ) (k 2 • k 1 ) (k 2 • i1 ) (k 2 • j1 ) (k 2 • k 1 )

M11 = 1
M 22 = 1
M 33 = 1
M12 = M 21 = (i 2 • i1 )(i 2 • j1 ) + ( j2 • i1 )( j2 • j1 ) + (k 2 • i1 )(k 2 • j1 ) = 0
M13 = M 31 = 0
M 23 = M 32 = 0

• It is impractical to specify the nine direction cosines to satisfy

the six constraints
• Only three direction cosines are independent
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Express Matrix A in terms of Euler Parameters

e0 
e 
e 
p =  1 =  0
e2  e
 
 e3  4×1

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 Express Matrix A in terms of Euler Parameters

NP '
NQ = m cos φ = NP ' cos φ
NP '
r r
u × s' r r
QP = m sin φ r r = u × s ' sin φ
u × s'

幾何
向量
代數 θ
矩陣
radius m=s’sinθ=| u×s’ |=NP’
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Transform Euler Parameters to Matrix A

s = As '
• Thus, matrix A can be easily determined from specified
Quaternion/Euler parameters

 φ 
 cos 2 
e0  φ   φ
e  
 e   cos  u x sin 
p=  = =
1 0 2 =

2
e2   e  u sin φ  u y sin φ 
   2  2
e3  4×1  φ
2005/5/24 計算動力學 u z sin 8
 2

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 Some Properties about Euler Parameters
• The four Euler parameters are not independent, because
φ φ
e02 + eT e = cos 2 ( ) + sin 2 ( ) = 1 eT e = 1 − e02
2 2

• Any vector lying along the rotation axis must have the same
components in both initial and final coordinate systems (e lies
along the rotation axis) e  0
e 
e 
p =  1 =  0
e2  e
 
e
 3  4×1

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Determine
Determine Euler
Euler Parameters
Parameters from
from Rotation Matrix A
Rotation Matrix

• Assume that the nine direction cosines of a transformation

matrix are given as

• Define:

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 Determine
Determine Euler
Euler Parameters
Parameters from
from Rotation
Rotation Matrix
Matrix A (e00 ≠0)
A (e ≠0)

• If e0 ≠0, then

• The sign of e0 may be selected as positive or negative

• Changing the sign of e0 does not influence the rotation matrix
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Example:
Example: Determine
Determine Euler
Euler Parameters
Parameters from
from Rotation
Rotation Matrix
Matrix A (e00 ≠0)
A (e ≠0)

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 Determine
Determine Euler
Euler Parameters
Parameters from
from Rotation
Rotation Matrix
Matrix A
A (e
(e00 =0)
=0)

similarly,

• Since e0 =cos(φ/2)=0 ! φ=±π, ±3π

• Suppose e1, e2, or e3 is nonzero (determined from one of the
above equations), its sign may be selected as positive or
negative
• Then, the other two parameters can be determined by the
following equations:

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Example:
Example: Determine
Determine Euler
Euler Parameters
Parameters from
from Rotation
Rotation Matrix
Matrix A
A (e
(e00 =0)
=0)

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 Identities with Euler Parameters

• Define

• Each row of G and L is orthogonal to p=[e0,e]T; i.e.,

Gp = 0 = pT G T
GTG=LTL=-ppT+I* (6.46)
A=GLT (6.49)
dA/dt=2(dG /dt)LT (6.56)

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Identities with Arbitrary Vector s

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 Time
Time Derivative
Derivative of
of aa Vector
Vector Attached
Attached to
to aa Moving
Moving Body
Body (P.172)
(P.172)

• The global location of a point P that is fixed in the

local coordinate system is given by

s = As '

& =?
A

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Time Derivative of Rotation Matrix A (pp.173-174)

Let Ω Is an unknown matrix

ΩT = −Ω
QA A = I T

∴Ω is a skew-symmetric matrix,
and we can assume that

 0 − ω3 ω2 
Ω =  ω3 0 − ω1  = ω
~
− ω 2 ω1 0 

A ( A T ΩT A + A T Ω A ) A T = 0 ~A
& =ω
∴A

ΩT + Ω = 0 What is the physical meaning of ω ?

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 Time
Time Derivative
Derivative of
of Any
Any Vector
Vector ss Attached
Attached to
to aa Moving
Moving Body
Body
(pp.173-174)
(pp.173-174)

& s 'P
s& P = A A ~A
& =ω

s P = As 'P
∴Any vector s attached to the local coordinate system can be
written as

~ s ⇔ rs& = ω × rs
s& = ω
Thus, ω is the angular velocity of the
moving body

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Velocity of a Point on Moving Body

~ sP
s& P = ω

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 Express
Express Angular
Angular Velocity
Velocity in
in terms
terms of
of Quaternion
Quaternion and
and Its
Its Time
Time
Derivative
Derivative (P.174)
(P.174)
~A
& =ω
A
~ AAT = ω
& AT = ω
A ~

~
& (−ppT + I)G T = ω
2G
Gp = 0 = pT G T

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Express
Express Angular
Angular Velocity
Velocity in
in terms
terms of
of Quaternion
Quaternion and
and Its
Its Time
Time
Derivative
Derivative (P.175)
(P.175)

global coordinates local coordinates

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 Express
Express Time
Time Derivative
Derivative of
of Quaternion
Quaternion in
in terms
terms Angular
Angular Velocity
Velocity
(P.175)
(P.175)

1 1 T '
p& = G T ω p& = Lω
2 2
 − e1 − e2 − e3   − e1 − e2 − e3 
 ω x  ωξ 
1 e e3 − e2    
1 e − e3 e2   
=  0 ωy =  0 ωη

2 − e3 e0 e1    
2 e3 e0 − e1   
  ωz 
   ω 
e0  4×3   3×1 e0  4×3   3×1
ζ
 e2 − e1 −
 2 e1
e

global coordinates local coordinates

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