Conventional keys can easily be copied in the age of 3D printers, and often only a photograph of the key is needed to copy it, as the Zurich-based start-up UrbanAlps shows in a video. This is a growing risk as 3D printers become cheaper by the day.
UrbanAlps is tackling this problem by developing a 3D-printed metallic key that hides most of its mechanical features internally. Called the Stealth Key, it cannot be copied using a photograph or scan as it is based on a purely mechanical solution. And as it uses no magnets and no electronics, which can lead to higher production costs, it costs the same as conventional security keys. According to UrbanAlps, it is also the world’s first 3D metal printed key.
UrbanAlps presented the new key over the weekend at the Intersec trade fair in Dubai, which attracts around 30,000 visitors from over 100 countries each year. The company is now looking for three pilot customers to test the key with. Interesting fields of application would be where protecting against key duplication is critical, for example ATMs or data centre cabinets.
