Hyperpacked piezoelectric-powered capacitive sensor array for high-fidelity vibration detection

Many physiological signals span a broad frequency spectrum, and high-fidelity capture across this range requires soft vibration sensors with exceptional performance. However, existing devices fall short of delivering uniformly high sensitivity across the full spectrum while maintaining reliable, low-power operation. Here, we present a new concept that employs a piezoelectric diaphragm as a non-contact power source for capacitive vibration sensing. The diaphragm generates an oscillating electric field between the sensing electrodes, enabling stable, self-powered operation with excellent linearity across a wide dynamic range. To further enhance performance, we design an elegant device architecture that offers (i) in-plane air ventilation and (ii) maximized sensor array density. The resulting device exhibits remarkable sensitivity (626 mV g ⁻¹), a flat frequency response (80–5,000 Hz), an ultralow limit of detection (0.01 g ), and an outstanding signal-to-noise ratio (80 dB), demonstrating notable improvements over conventional technology. We demonstrate that the hyperpacked, piezoelectric-powered capacitive sensor array enables high-fidelity detection of music, voice, and respiratory signals by capturing subtle mechanical vibrations.