A displacement sensor having a rectangular shaped elastic member. A piezoelectric element is attached to a first main face of the elastic member. The piezoelectric element has a rectangular-shaped piezoelectric sheet and electrodes on both main faces of the piezoelectric sheet. The piezoelectric sheet is made of poly-L-lactic acid and is at least uniaxially-stretched. The piezoelectric element is attached so that the uniaxial-stretching direction of the piezoelectric sheet is 45° relative to a long-side direction of the elastic member. When the elastic member is bent along the long-side direction, the piezoelectric sheet is stretched along the long-side direction, and the piezoelectric element generates voltage of predetermined level.

A crystal pattern forming method includes: an electromagnetic wave absorbing layer forming process for forming an electromagnetic wave absorbing layer on one of surfaces of a substrate; an amorphous film forming process for forming an amorphous film on the electromagnetic wave absorbing layer; a mask forming process for forming an electromagnetic wave blocking mask for blocking an electromagnetic wave on the other one of the surfaces of the substrate; and a crystallizing process for causing the substrate to be irradiated with the electromagnetic wave from the other one of the surfaces of the substrate through the electromagnetic wave blocking mask to crystallize a given region in the amorphous film. In the mask forming process, a recessed structure is formed on the other one of the surfaces of the substrate, by selectively removing the other one of the surfaces of the substrate to form a recessed portion.

An autonomous intracorporeal capsule comprises a body containing electronic circuits and an energy harvesting module. The energy harvesting module comprises a moveable surface on the body of the capsule, subjected to pressure variations and to produce a mechanical stress under the effect of the pressure variations, and a transducer comprising a deformable piezoelectric component configured as a beam adapted to be forced to bend. The piezoelectric component has a recessed end integral with the capsule and a free end. A mechanical connection couples the free end of the piezoelectric component to the actuator. The mechanical connection may provide a degree of freedom in rotation between a main direction of the beam and the direction of application of the mechanical stress.

A micromechanical component having a substrate which includes a micro-electromechanical microphone structure, the micro-electromechanical microphone structure encompassing at least one piezoelectric layer and at least one polymer mass as at least part of a packaging of the substrate fitted with the micro-electromechanical microphone structure, which is in contact with at least a partial outer surface of the substrate fitted with the micro-electromechanical microphone structure. A method is also described for packaging a substrate having a micro-electromechanical microphone structure encompassing at least one piezoelectric layer by developing at least a portion of a packaging of the substrate fitted with the micro-electromechanical microphone structure from at least one polymer mass, and the at least one polymer mass being applied directly on at least a partial outer surface of the substrate fitted with the micro-electromechanical microphone structure.

A micro-electro-mechanical system sensor device is disclosed. The sensor device comprises a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) layer, comprising: an actuator layer and a cover layer, wherein a portion of the actuator layer is coupled to the cover layer via a dielectric; and an out-of-plane sense element interposed between the actuator layer and the cover layer, wherein the MEMS device layer is connected to a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) substrate layer via a spring and an anchor.

An energy harvester comprising a mass that is subjectable to environmental forces for bringing it into the status of a moving mass, and means linked to the mass for converting and storing of energy embodied in the moving mass, which means are arranged for subsequent release of said energy, wherein the mass is part of a compliant system comprising a frame and first and second elastic beams connecting the mass to the frame, wherein the first and second elastic beams are provided with opposite stiffnesses so as to arrange that in a predefined range of excursions of the moving mass, said mass experiences a preselected stiffness.

There is provided a displacement sensor which can precisely detect the amount of displacement given by an operator. A touch sensor which is a type of the displacement sensor has a piezoelectric element, a voltage converting unit and a detecting unit. The piezoelectric element instantaneously generates a voltage proportional to a pressing force (the amount of pressing). The voltage converting unit converts the voltage generated by the piezoelectric element, into a voltage proportional to a transition determined based on a predetermined time constant determined by an impedance of a resistor of the voltage converting unit and capacitances of a capacitor and the piezoelectric element, and a pressing force. The detecting unit integrates output voltages of the voltage converting unit, and calculates the pressing force (the amount of pressing) based on an integration value.

An electrical generation system for a door positioned in a doorway includes a hinge arranged to support the door for rotational movement with respect to the doorway between a closed position and an open position, and a cam that is one of coupled to the door for movement with the door, and fixed with respect to the doorway. A piezo-electric generator is the other of coupled to the door for movement with the door, and fixed with respect to the doorway. The piezo-electric generator and the cam cooperate such that rotation of the cam with respect to the piezo-electric generator is operable to produce an electrical current in response to rotation of the door, and wherein the electrical current has a frequency that is greater than the number of revolutions made by the cam with respect to the piezo-electric generator.

A device (10) including a deformable shell (12) delimiting an inner space (14), and: a resilient band (18, 30, 32) suspended in the inner space (14) and including two ends secured to the deformable shell (12), said band (18, 30, 32) including a piezoelectric material (30, 32) to generate an electric voltage under the effect of the deformation of the shell (12) and two electrodes for collecting the voltage; and an electronic circuit (34) for processing the voltage, arranged on the resilient band (18, 30, 32) and connected to the electrodes of the resilient band (18, 30, 32).

Provided is a self-resonance tuning piezoelectric energy harvester. The self-resonance tuning piezoelectric energy harvester includes a piezoelectric beam which extends along a horizontal direction, a fixing element which fixes two ends of the piezoelectric beam, and a mass which is connected to the piezoelectric beam movably along the piezoelectric beam, wherein the mass includes a through-hole through which the piezoelectric beam passes, and makes the movement through the through-hole. According to the principle of continuous movement to the resonance position, the mass of the self-resonance tuning piezoelectric energy harvester induces the piezoelectric beam to generate displacement to the maximum and maximize the electricity production capacity of the piezoelectric energy harvester.