Stealing 3D Models by Audio Recording a 3D Printer

A bright professor at the University of California-Irvine discovered it’s possible to steal the design of a 3D model by simply doing an audio recording of the 3D printer printing it. Apparently, they have demonstrated a 90% accuracy of model reconstruction using this technique. Simply having an employee working at a manufacturing facility with a cell phone on them could invite the possibility of industrial espionage if they were to give such a recording to a competitor. Fascinating proof of concept!