An ultrasound transducer, wherein the ultrasound transducer includes a membrane including a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the membrane is configured to vibrate and generate an ultrasound in response to voltage applied the transducer, wherein the membrane includes a perimeter including a plurality of sides and a top surface and a bottom surface with one or more feet extending away from the bottom surface; and a support member that attaches to and connects to the membrane and supports the membrane, wherein the support member includes one or more platforms extending to and attaching to the membrane and a substrate, wherein a first end of the platform connects to the membrane and includes a support portion, wherein the support portion away from the platform, wherein the platform includes the one or more piezoelectric layers, wherein the one or more platforms support and surround the membrane.

Disclosed is a sound vibration sensor using a piezoelectric element having a cantilever structure. The sound vibration sensor includes a housing forming an exterior, a piezoelectric element having a cantilever structure installed in the housing, a support structure supporting a fixed end of the piezoelectric element, a weight attached to a free end of the piezoelectric element, and an energizing part configured to transmit an output from the piezoelectric element, wherein the sound vibration sensor comes into contact with a speaker's body, receives vibration of the body generated when the speaker utters a sound through the housing, and amplifies the vibration by the free end of the piezoelectric element to detect the voice vibration of the speaker using a piezoelectric characteristic of the piezoelectric element.

A piezoelectric element includes: a piezoelectric body having a first surface and a second surface that are different from each other; a first electrode provided at the first surface; and a second electrode provided at the second surface. The piezoelectric body contains a helical chiral polymer crystal having an orientation axis as a crystal axis, the orientation axis is uniaxially oriented in a manner of intersecting both the first surface and the second surface, and a degree of orientation of the orientation axis in the piezoelectric body is 0.80 or more.

The invention provides a compound-pendulum up-conversion wave energy harvesting apparatus, comprising a shell floating on the water surface and swinging with fluctuation of waves, a compound-pendulum mechanism rotatably arranged in the shell and rotating with its swinging, a driving gear rotatably arranged in the shell and rotating synchronously with the compound-pendulum mechanism, an electromagnetic power generation mechanism arranged in the shell and configured to be meshed with the driving gear for transmission to generate electricity through electromagnetic induction, and a piezoelectric power generation mechanism arranged in the shell and configured to be deformed during its rotation to generate electricity through piezoelectric effect. When the shell swings un-directionally with fluctuation of the waves, the compound-pendulum mechanism makes un-directional rotation that adapts to the dynamic changes of water surface wave energy. The electromagnetic power generation mechanism and the piezoelectric power generation mechanism convert energy through two different electromechanical coupling transduction mechanisms.

A device for harvesting motion energy, the device including an outer structure, a plurality of piezoelectric units including a permanent source of electromagnetic field (magnet or electret) attached to a piezoelectric material, where each of the piezoelectric units is fixed, at least in part, to the outer structure, an inner structure located inside the outer structure, the inner structure including a plurality of permanent sources of electromagnetic field (magnets or electrets) fixed to a rigid frame, the inner structure is configured to be suspended within the outer structure due to mutual electromagnetic forces acting between permanent sources of electromagnetic field pertaining to the piezoelectric units and permanent sources of electromagnetic field pertaining to the inner structure, and an electric circuit configured to store or provide electric energy supplied by the piezoelectric units due to strain caused by relative motion between the outer structure and the inner structure.

A method of making an acoustic sensor (e.g., a piezoelectric sensor for a piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems microphone) includes forming or depositing one or more piezoelectric layers to define a beam extending between a proximal portion and a distal tip (e.g., unsupported free end), the beam having a width in plan view that is greater at a location distal of the proximal portion than at the proximal portion. The method also comprises attaching the beam to a substrate in cantilever form so that the proximal portion of the beam is anchored to the substrate and the distal tip is a free unsupported end of the beam. One or more electrodes are disposed on or in the proximal portion of the beam.

A normal-temperature heat engine power generation device based on a drinking bird is provided. The device includes a drinking bird body, a piezoelectric module and an electromagnetic module. The piezoelectric module includes a cantilever beam, a piezoelectric sheet arranged on the cantilever beam and working loads arranged at an end of the cantilever beam. when a head of the drinking bird body swings downwards, a tip of a beak can impact the working loads. The electromagnetic module includes magnets, coils and coil magnet conducting columns. The magnets are arranged at a bottom of a spherical bottom of the drinking bird body, and the coil magnet conducting columns sleeving the coils are arranged on a base of the drinking bird body.

A sound processor comprises one or more electrical signal outputs configured to generate a plurality of electrical signals. The plurality of electrical signals are generated in specific tuned audio frequency bands in respective audio channels, in response to sound information received at the sound processor in the specific tuned audio frequency bands. The sound processor further comprises a transmitter coupled to the one or more electrical signal outputs for transmission of the plurality of electrical signals. The transmitter is configured to transmit the electrical signal in the respective audio channel over a separate respective transcutaneous communication link.

Piezo-optic transducers convert variations in mechanical stress to a change in optical properties by coupling electro-optic and piezo-electric elements in a format suited to a single composite device without needing on-board electronics.

The disclosure provides an electricity generating insert for a piece of footwear, the insert can be removably placed in the heel portion, e.g. under the insole. The insert comprises a multilayer piezoelectric stack that alternatively flexes under the compression-decompression that occurs during locomotion, which flexing causes friction in the stack to generate electricity capable of charging electronic devices and the like, e.g. via a port on the footwear.