This paper investigates the use of point clouds from Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technology as a reference for the quality assessment of a large-scale topographic database. Three distinct approaches are proposed for the comparison between SLAM data and the vector features of the database, evaluating strengths and limitations of each methodology on a study area of the novel topographic database of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region (Italy). The tests carried out show that SLAM-based laser scanners facilitate the acquisition of a reference 3D model at a considerably faster time than the conventional topographic field techniques typically employed in quality control. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that, despite their inferior precision in comparison to traditional surveying, SLAM sensors are still sufficiently accurate to assess the metric quality of databases realized at a scale of 1:1000 – 1:2000.
