Sculk Sensor

The sculk sensor is a block that detects vibrations caused by actions and events, and emits a redstone signal.

Natural generation
Sculk sensors generate within the deep dark biome and ancient cities.

Breaking
Sculk sensors can be mined with any tool, but hoes are the quickest. They are obtained by mining them with a hoe enchanted with Silk Touch, otherwise they only drop 5 experience.

Post-generation
A sculk catalyst has a 9% chance of generating a sculk sensor on top of a sculk block.

Light
A sculk sensor has a light level of 1. However, when active, it changes to a lighter block state without a change to the light level.

Vibration detection
Sculk sensors can detect vibrations in a 9 block radius around it. A vibration is caused by many noisy events, such as a player gliding with elytra, a piston extending or a wet wolf shaking itself off. While sneaking, a player is not detected when walking, falling, or shooting a projectile.

When a vibration is made within the range of a sculk sensor, a signal travels from the vibration source to the sensor at a speed of one block per game tick (20 blocks per second). When the signal arrives, the sensor is activated for 40 game tick. The sensor cannot detect any other vibrations while activated or while a signal is traveling to it.

Vibrations made by players are passed on to nearby sculk shriekers.

Sculk sensors have a cooldown period of 1 tick after being placed or after deactivating. During this short cooldown period, they cannot detect vibrations. This prevents them from activating when a contraption it is powering is being unpowered.

Sculk sensors don't detect vibrations from other sculk sources or the warden.

Wool (and Carpet) has a special interaction with sculk sensors. If a wool block is between a sensor and a vibration source, then that sensor is not able to detect the vibration. Sculk sensors are not able to detect footsteps on wool blocks, nor can they detect when wool block items are dropped. No vibrations are produced when wool is placed, even if placed on top of the sculk sensor.

A sculk sensor activates when any item is dropped directly on top of it, including wool.

Redstone emission
Sculk sensors emit a redstone signal when they are activated. The strength of the redstone signal is inversely proportional to the distance the vibration signal traveled – the closer the vibration is to the sculk sensor, the stronger the redstone signal is, so it reaches the maximum redstone signal strength when the vibration is directly on top of the sensor.

Vibration amplitudes
Sculk sensors have a unique interaction with comparators. Each vibration in the game falls under a certain amplitude value. This value can be measured with a comparator as redstone output. With the right contraption, the player could detect if a certain action has occurred or is occurring nearby.

Piston interactivity
Sculk sensors are immovable. Pistons cannot push them, and sticky pistons cannot push or pull them. Slime blocks and honey blocks do not stick to sculk sensors and have no effect whether the slime block or honey block is being pushed or pulled.

Sounds
A sculk sensor is silent if waterlogged. It can still detect vibration, but does not produce sounds itself.

ID




Trivia

 * "Sculk" is derived from "skulk," meaning "keep out of sight, typically with a sinister or cowardly motive".
 * Creeper footsteps do not trigger sculk sensors, unless they walk off a ledge, even if they don't take fall damage.