A methodology for the construction of rational curves with rational arc length functions, by direct integration of hodographs, is developed. For a hodograph of the form r′(ξ)=(u2(ξ)−v2(ξ),2u(ξ)v(ξ))/w2(ξ), where w(ξ) is a monic polynomial defined by prescribed simple roots, we identify conditions on the polynomials u(ξ) and v(ξ) which ensure that integration of r′(ξ) produces a rational curve with a rational arc length function s(ξ). The method is illustrated by computed examples, and a generalization to spatial rational curves is also briefly discussed. The results are also compared to existing theory, based upon the dual form of rational Pythagorean-hodograph curves, and it is shown that direct integration produces simple low-degree curves which otherwise require a symbolic factorization to identify and cancel common factors among the curve homogeneous coordinates.

The scalar-vector representation is used to derive a simple algorithm to obtain the roots of a quadratic quaternion polynomial. Apart from the familiar vector dot and cross products, this algorithm requires only the determination of the unique positive real root of a cubic equation, and special cases (e.g., double roots) are easily identified through the satisfaction of algebraic constraints on the scalar/vector parts of the coefficients. The algorithm is illustrated by computed examples, and used to analyze the root structure of quadratic quaternion polynomials that generate quintic curves with rational rotation-minimizing frames (RRMF curves). The degenerate (i.e., linear or planar) quintic RRMF curves correspond to the case of a double root. For polynomials with distinct roots, generating non-planar RRMF curves, the cubic always factors into linear and quadratic terms, and a closed-form expression for the quaternion roots in terms of a real variable, a unit vector, a uniform scale factor, and a real parameter τ. ∈. [-. 1, +. 1] is derived. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

A characterization for spatial Pythagorean-hodograph (PH) curves of degree 7 with rotation-minimizing Euler-Rodrigues frames (ERFs) is determined, in terms of one real and two complex constraints on the curve coefficients. These curves can interpolate initial/final positions pi and pf and orientational frames (ti,ui,vi) and ( tf,uf,vf) so as to define a rational rotation-minimizing rigid body motion. Two residual free parameters, that determine the magnitudes of the end derivatives, are available for optimizing shape properties of the interpolant. This improves upon existing algorithms for quintic PH curves with rational rotation-minimizing frames (RRMF quintics), which offer no residual freedoms. Moreover, the degree 7 PH curves with rotation-minimizing ERFs are capable of interpolating motion data for which the RRMF quintics do not admit real solutions. Although these interpolants are of higher degree than the RRMF quintics, their rotation-minimizing frames are actually of lower degree (6 versus 8), since they coincide with the ERF. This novel construction of rational rotation-minimizing motions may prove useful in applications such as computer animation, geometric sweep operations, and robot trajectory planning. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.