diff --git a/gtsam_unstable/geometry/Similarity3.cpp b/gtsam_unstable/geometry/Similarity3.cpp
index de9792da8..25a3e1f99 100644
--- a/gtsam_unstable/geometry/Similarity3.cpp
+++ b/gtsam_unstable/geometry/Similarity3.cpp
@@ -140,23 +140,6 @@ Similarity3 Similarity3::Align(const std::vector<Point3Pair>& abPointPairs) {
   return Similarity3(aRb, aTb, s);
 }
 
-//  Use the geodesic L2 mean to solve the mean of rotations,
-//  Refer to: http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~hongdong/rotationaveraging.pdf (on page 18)
-Rot3 Similarity3::rotationAveraging(const std::vector<Rot3>& rotations, double error) {
-  Rot3 R = rotations[0];
-  const size_t n = rotations.size();
-  Vector3 r;
-  r << 0, 0, 0;
-  while (1) {
-    for (const Rot3 R_i : rotations) {
-      r += Rot3::Logmap(R.inverse().compose(R_i));
-    }
-    r /= n;
-    if (r.norm() < error) return R;
-    R = R.compose(Rot3::Expmap(r));
-  }
-}
-
 Similarity3 Similarity3::Align(const std::vector<Pose3Pair>& abPosePairs) {
   const size_t n = abPosePairs.size();
   if (n < 2) throw std::runtime_error("input should have at least 2 pairs of poses");  // we need at least two pairs
@@ -172,7 +155,7 @@ Similarity3 Similarity3::Align(const std::vector<Pose3Pair>& abPosePairs) {
   const double f = 1.0 / n;
   aCentroid *= f;
   bCentroid *= f;
-  Rot3 aRb = Similarity3::rotationAveraging(rotationList);
+  const Rot3 aRb = FindKarcherMean<Rot3>(rotationList);
 
   // Calculate scale
   double x = 0;
diff --git a/gtsam_unstable/geometry/Similarity3.h b/gtsam_unstable/geometry/Similarity3.h
index a7797fbb4..7af87d761 100644
--- a/gtsam_unstable/geometry/Similarity3.h
+++ b/gtsam_unstable/geometry/Similarity3.h
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
 #include <gtsam/base/Lie.h>
 #include <gtsam/base/Manifold.h>
 #include <gtsam_unstable/dllexport.h>
+#include <gtsam/slam/KarcherMeanFactor-inl.h>
+#include <gtsam/slam/KarcherMeanFactor.h>
+
 
 namespace gtsam {
 
@@ -112,12 +115,7 @@ public:
    *  Create Similarity3 by aligning at least three point pairs
    */
   GTSAM_UNSTABLE_EXPORT static Similarity3 Align(const std::vector<Point3Pair>& abPointPairs);
-
-  /**
-   *  Calculate the average rotation from a list of rotations
-   */
-  GTSAM_UNSTABLE_EXPORT static Rot3 rotationAveraging(const std::vector<Rot3>& rotations, double error = 1e-10);
-
+  
   /**
    *  Create Similarity3 by aligning at least two pose pairs
    */
diff --git a/gtsam_unstable/geometry/tests/testSimilarity3.cpp b/gtsam_unstable/geometry/tests/testSimilarity3.cpp
index e6e814af6..daf2643c3 100644
--- a/gtsam_unstable/geometry/tests/testSimilarity3.cpp
+++ b/gtsam_unstable/geometry/tests/testSimilarity3.cpp
@@ -321,15 +321,6 @@ TEST(Similarity3, AlignPoint3_3) {
   EXPECT(assert_equal(expected_aSb, actual_aSb));
 }
 
-//******************************************************************************
-// Rotation Averaging
-TEST(Similarity3, RotationAveraging) {
-  Rot3 expected = Rot3::Rx(90 * degree);
-  vector<Rot3> rotations{Rot3(), Rot3::Rx(90 * degree), Rot3::Rx(180 * degree)};
-  Rot3 actual = Similarity3::rotationAveraging(rotations);
-  EXPECT(assert_equal(expected, actual));
-}
-
 //******************************************************************************
 // Align with Pose3 Pairs
 TEST(Similarity3, AlignPose3) {