"Leave your keys in your pocket," is the advice given by computer programmers at University of California San Diego who recently created 'Sneakey' software; an application that uses a digital image of a key to produce an exact copy in physical form within minutes.
According to Stefan Savage, the computer science professor who led the project, advances in digital imaging have made it so easy that even a low resolution photo from a cell phone offers enough information to decode and reproduce a key.
In a recent publication (PDF), Sneakey is described as "simplistic enough that someone with no prior knowledge about the mechanics of keys or lock mechanics can operate it," yet the algorithm is sophisticated enough to cope with the poor quality of images routinely posted on the Web.
In one experiment, the Sneakey team installed a camera on their four story department building (77 feet above the ground) at an acute angle to a key sitting on a café table 195 feet away. The image captured (below) was correctly decoded.
How Sneakey Works
Using a digital image of a key from almost any angle, Sneakey measures the depth of each cut, strings together this information and spits out a bitting code - typically a five or six digit number - that locksmiths use to make each cut on a blank key. The bitting code, along with the basic key information is enough to make a duplicate key.
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