How many degrees of freedom can a UA move through 3-D space?

How many degrees of freedom can a UA move through 3-D space?

• A. Three
• B. Four
• C. Two
• D. Six

Answer: (D)

Any rigid object moving in three-dimensional space has six independent motions. Three translational movements occur along the x, y, and z axes—forward/backward, left/right, and up/down. In addition, it can rotate about those axes: roll around the forward axis, pitch around the side-to-side axis, and yaw around the vertical axis. Put together, these give six degrees of freedom, which is why a UA can both change its position and its orientation in 3-D space. The other numbers fall short because they miss either some translation or some rotation, so they don’t capture the full range of possible movement.

Any rigid object moving in three-dimensional space has six independent motions. Three translational movements occur along the x, y, and z axes—forward/backward, left/right, and up/down. In addition, it can rotate about those axes: roll around the forward axis, pitch around the side-to-side axis, and yaw around the vertical axis. Put together, these give six degrees of freedom, which is why a UA can both change its position and its orientation in 3-D space. The other numbers fall short because they miss either some translation or some rotation, so they don’t capture the full range of possible movement.