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What is the difference between these two terms, or are they completely synonymous? I have frequently seen either used in connection with pitch and roll.

Levi Lindsey
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1 Answers1

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There are others probably more qualified to speak on this subject than I, but from what I've gleaned from the Wikipedia pages on Azimuth and Yaw:

Azimuth seems to be used to represent an absolute heading, while yaw is a measurement of how much a craft turns from its current orientation.

Thus, if your azimuth went from $90^\circ$ to $184^\circ$, your yaw was $94^\circ$, while your current azimuth is $184^\circ$.

apnorton
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    So yaw is merely change in azimuth? It just seems odd, considering that I know that the corresponding terms for the other axes--pitch and roll--are commonly used both to describe absolute orientation and change of orientation. – Levi Lindsey Feb 07 '13 at 21:10
  • I will give a disclaimer that I could be wrong. However, upon reading those wiki articles (and from what else I've read when looking at compass sensors), I see azimuth always referring to absolute heading. Yaw I typically see referring to change in heading: http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&safe=active&tbo=u&as_qdr=all&q=yaw&tbs=dfn:1&sa=X&ei=fysUUe3KH6aE2wWd34H4Cg&ved=0CC8QkQ4&biw=1205&bih=684 – apnorton Feb 07 '13 at 22:33
  • Yaw is in the vehicle's coordinate system. Azimuth is global. Pitch up 180 degrees then yaw 180 degrees, you're at the initial azimuth except upside-down (in 180 degree roll). – SF. Sep 16 '23 at 00:34