Fast quaternion slerp

Abstract

Using methods derived from De Moivre's theorem for complex numbers and its extension to quaternions we consider ways of speeding-up methods for implementing incremental spherical linear interpolation of quaternions by circumventing the need to compute expensive trigonometric quantities at each increment.

Keywords:

• quaternion
• orientation
• interpolation
• slerp
• De Moivre

AMS Subject Classification :

• 08-04
• 11R52

Acknowledgements

Research partially funded by a grant from Enterprise Ireland. The author would also like to acknowledge the referees’ suggestions which improved the paper significantly.