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A Geometric Algebra Solution to Wahba's Problem

Robotics 2021-03-08 v1

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.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2103.03773,
  title  = {A Geometric Algebra Solution to Wahba's Problem},
  author = {Timothy D Barfoot},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2103.03773},
  year   = {2021}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-23T23:48:38.416Z