Swiss firm UrbanAlps has developed a 3D-printed key that can be used in conventional cylinder locks and is “almost impossible to duplicate”.
The company argues that with the coming of 3D printing, high security keys that would previously have been safe from all but specialist cloners can now be easily duplicated.
The firm says a home printer could do the job, allowing “an ex-tenant, an ex-partner, an ex-housecleaner to enter your home with no trace left behind”.
Traditional keys could be copied using a photograph.
The titanium “stealth key” overcomes this problem using a mechanical solution that hides most of its security features internally, making the key unscannable.
UrbanAlps claims that its solution is superior to keys that incorporate a computer chip. The firm says these keys “usually cost between $500 and $700 and bring convenience not security”.
It also takes into consideration magnetic keys that cannot be copied, but questions whether they may affect credit cards and mobile phones.
The stealth key has five million possible combinations and can be combined with a chip.
Find out more here.
Images courtesy of UrbanAlps
