These are virtually unpickable and are usually in secure locations, but you'd need a very specific set of photographs, a high-res 3D scan, or some other means of finding not only the keyway (shape of the key shaft) and depths of the cuts, but the angles of each cut as well. The exception is high-security locks, like Medeco. They aren't going to bother with picking the lock or trying to 3D print a key. If the lock has crappy tolerances, it is most likely not a very secure location, and anyone wishing to gain entry is going to kick the door in to minimize the amount of time they are on scene. Regardless of the tolerances, a skilled locksmith can pick a lock in less time an with more certainty than making a key from a photograph***, or even a 3D scan. What would actually stop someone? The fact that picking a lock is easier, and quicker (in most cases) than making a key from an image or 3D scan, even if I have precise measurements. however.Īs a locksmith I can tell you that some locks have tolerances that are measured in the thousandths of inches (tens or hundreds of micrometres), and getting a perfect match isn't always a guarantee. I have always laughed at this and said: yeah, the mailman will knock on your door and if you're not home he'll simply enter the house, put the key and leave with everything else.Īs other answers say,nothing prevents them. I have also found an app for iDevices in which you can take a photo of the key and send it to a company which will then duplicate it and send it back. Meaning that none is absolutely automatic, but they're still good nonetheless. There have been a couple of researches about this in the States and Thailand, but:ġ) the states': you take a photo and point out the points of interestĢ) Thailand's: a reconstruction from a video-stream of the key. I have uploaded some videos of my progress if you're interested to know how things went so far :) My target is to automate the whole process, i.e you take a single photo and an app will detect the outline of the key and the grooves inside it (which is a really difficult problem since it's a reflective field) then construct a 3D model ready to be printed. I am trying to do duplicate a key from a single photo, with some assumptions to make it a realistic problem such as having a coin of a known size next to it for size calibration and rotation, almost symmetry between the two sides of the key etc. Even more, I've been working on such a project myself at the university! (albeit I don't say this as an official target, of course)

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