# Rotation Angles to Quaternions

Calculate quaternion from rotation angles

## Library

Utilities/Axes Transformations

## Description

The Rotation Angles to Quaternions block converts the rotation described by the three rotation angles (R1, R2, R3) into the four-element quaternion vector (q0, q1, q2, q3). A quaternion vector represents a rotation about a unit vector $\left({\mu }_{x},{\mu }_{y},{\mu }_{z}\right)$ through an angle θ. A unit quaternion itself has unit magnitude, and can be written in the following vector format.

`$q=\left[\begin{array}{l}{q}_{0}\\ {q}_{1}\\ {q}_{2}\\ {q}_{3}\end{array}\right]=\left[\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{cos}\left(\theta /2\right)\\ \mathrm{sin}\left(\theta /2\right){\mu }_{x}\\ \mathrm{sin}\left(\theta /2\right){\mu }_{y}\\ \mathrm{sin}\left(\theta /2\right){\mu }_{z}\end{array}\right]$`

An alternative representation of a quaternion is as a complex number,

`$q={q}_{0}+i{q}_{1}+j{q}_{2}+k{q}_{3}$`

where, for the purposes of multiplication,

`$\begin{array}{l}{i}^{2}={j}^{2}={k}^{2}=-1\\ ij=-ji=k\\ jk=-kj=i\\ ki=-ik=j\end{array}$`

The benefit of representing the quaternion in this way is the ease with which the quaternion product can represent the resulting transformation after two or more rotations.

## Dialog Box

Rotation Order

Specifies the output rotation order for three wind rotation angles. From the list, select `ZYX`, `ZYZ`, `ZXY`, `ZXZ`, `YXZ`, `YXY`, `YZX`, `YZY`, `XYZ`, `XYX`, `XZY`, or `XZX`. The default is `ZYX`.

## Inputs and Outputs

InputDimension TypeDescription

First

3-by-1 vectorContains the rotation angles, in radians.

OutputDimension TypeDescription

First

4-by-1 quaternion vectorContains the quaternion vector.

## Assumptions and Limitations

The limitations for the `'ZYX'`, `'ZXY'`, `'YXZ'`, `'YZX'`, `'XYZ'`, and `'XZY'` implementations generate an R2 angle that is between ±90 degrees, and R1 and R3 angles that are between ±180 degrees.

The limitations for the `'ZYZ'`, `'ZXZ'`, `'YXY'`, `'YZY'`, `'XYX'`, and `'XZX'` implementations generate an R2 angle that is between 0 and 180 degrees, and R1 and R3 angles that are between ±180 degrees.

Direction Cosine Matrix to Quaternions

Quaternions to Direction Cosine Matrix

Quaternions to Rotation Angles

Rotation Angles to Direction Cosine Matrix