identifying best keyway from key - possible?

[2006dr]

Looking at the lock might be easier but can anyone identify which BEST keyways this key could belong to?

[n2oah]

take a picture of the tip of the key, so we can see the profile. Identification of Best keyways seems to be a specialty of some members around here!

[Omikron]

You should be careful about posting such clear pictures of keys on the internet. Some people are fairly good at visually decoding the bitting...

[Octillion]

Pin 1 is a 0! Not sure about the rest...

[Raccoon]

... just as soon as the original poster lists his location and street address.

I want to write a program that digitally decodes keyways. Most profiles can be broken down into a grid, and each grid point contains only a few possible angles, full or empty. The only problem is applying this program to real-life use, it would require some sort of scanning system or by photograph. A mechanical solution would be awesome-- some tool with feelers that decodes all ILCO standard keyways.

[Octillion]

A mechanical solution would be awesome-- some tool with feelers that decodes all ILCO standard keyways.

A caliper and some root depth charts.

[Shrub]

I want to write a program that digitally decodes keyways. Most profiles can be broken down into a grid, and each grid point contains only a few possible angles, full or empty. The only problem is applying this program to real-life use, it would require some sort of scanning system or by photograph. A mechanical solution would be awesome-- some tool with feelers that decodes all ILCO standard keyways.

Already in use to an extent, i was demoed a machine that you put the key to be copied into a holder and a magic eye decodes it, then you can do anything you want like make a cut deeper, make a cut shallower etc, etc then the machine simply cuts the key, the original doesnt even need to be left in the machine, on mortice keys it will also round the edges of the cuts.

[picksmith]

Shrub:

I think you're talking about the Ilco Ultracode? http://www.discountkeymachines.com/kaba ... RACODE.pdf

[Raccoon]

Callipers and charts are not a mechanical solution to "automatically determining a keyway". The scanner cutters out there are nice, but again, they do nothing to mechanically identify a keyway.

I was thinking something along the lines of feeler pins that, when a certain cobination is depressed, can determine the keyway by its wardings.

[Octillion]

You never said "automatically" just "mechanically" .

Actually, I just realized I misread your post anyway, I thought you were referring to decoding the key biting, not the keyway.

[Shrub]

No it wasnt the Ultracode i was meaning, i cant remember the one i was meaning however but i didnt realise there were a few of them out there.

I also thought the key biting was meant and not the profile.

Theres those things that have loads of pins in them so you put your key in the middle and the pins slide into the keyway and show on the outside what the form is, they are like those wooden mouldning tools you can buy,

I guess somthing like that with a sensor of some type on each pin would be possable.