Degrees of Freedom
Each different motion is a degreee of freedom. These can be linear or rotational.
Linear is moving in a direction: Forward and backward is one degree of freedom, side to side is another.
Rotational is turning at a point. Turning your head left and right is one degree of freedom, nodding your head up and down is another.
The number of pieces of information needed to specify the position and state of the object we are talking about is the minimum number degrees of freedom in that system.
A child on a swing has one degree of freedom. If you know the angle the swing has moved from the start position you know exactly where the child is.
A position of a box of tissues on a desk has 2 degrees of freedom. If you know how far it is from the side of the desk and how far it is from the front of the desk you know where it is. Or you could know the angle it makes with the front of the desk, as measured from a particular corner and how far along that line it is - still 2 DoF.
If you add the orientation of the box you are adding another 3 degrees of freedom as you can turn it on the desk to any angle, put it on its side or on its end.
Each different motion is a degreee of freedom. These can be linear or rotational.
Linear is moving in a direction: Forward and backward is one degree of freedom, side to side is another.
Rotational is turning at a point. Turning your head left and right is one degree of freedom, nodding your head up and down is another.
The number of pieces of information needed to specify the position and state of the object we are talking about is the minimum number degrees of freedom in that system.
A child on a swing has one degree of freedom. If you know the angle the swing has moved from the start position you know exactly where the child is.
A position of a box of tissues on a desk has 2 degrees of freedom. If you know how far it is from the side of the desk and how far it is from the front of the desk you know where it is. Or you could know the angle it makes with the front of the desk, as measured from a particular corner and how far along that line it is - still 2 DoF.
If you add the orientation of the box you are adding another 3 degrees of freedom as you can turn it on the desk to any angle, put it on its side or on its end.
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