Researchers Defeat 3D Printing Piracy with Hidden QR Codes

Researchers at NYU Tandon [School of Engineering] and NYU Abu Dhabi believe they have come up with a solution to foil counterfeiters and IP pirates. Their new method of identifying a unique device involves converting QR codes into 3D hidden features. … Nikhil Gupta, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, explains: “To create typical QR code contrasts that are readable to a scanner you have to embed the equivalent of empty spaces … But by dispersing these tiny flaws over many layers we were able to keep the part’s strength well within acceptable limits.”