A tensor-like representation for averaging, filtering and interpolation of 3-D object orientation data

Averaging, filtering and interpolation of 3-D object orientation data is important in both computer vision and computer graphics, for instance to smooth estimates of object orientation and interpolate between keyframes in computer animation. In this paper we present a novel framework in which the non-linear nature of these problems is avoided by embedding the manifold of 3-D orientations into a 16-dimensional Euclidean space. Linear operations performed in the new representation can be shown to be rotation invariant, and defining a projection back to the orientation manifold results in optimal estimates with respect to the Euclidean metric. In other words, standard linear filters, interpolators and estimators may be applied to orientation data, without the need for an additional machinery to handle the non-linear nature of the problems. This novel representation also provides a way to express uncertainty in 3-D orientation, analogous to the well known tensor representation for lines and hyperplanes.