A Geometric Algebra Solution to Wahba's Problem

Timothy D Barfoot

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arXiv · 2103.03773

A Geometric Algebra Solution to Wahba's Problem

Timothy D Barfoot

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Abstract

We retrace Davenport's solution to Wahba's classic problem of aligning two pointclouds using the formalism of Geometric Algebra (GA). GA proves to be a natural backdrop for this problem involving three-dimensional rotations due to the isomorphism between unit-length quaternions and rotors. While the solution to this problem is not a new result, it is hoped that its treatment in GA will have tutorial value as well as open the door to addressing more complex problems in a similar way.

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Timothy D Barfoot. 2021-03-05. A Geometric Algebra Solution to Wahba's Problem. https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.03773

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