Miniature acceleration sensor

A miniature sensor for detecting and determining acceleration and deceleration processes of an object, comprising:

• a detector substrate mounted for movement concomitantly with the object;
• a substantially bar-shaped spring element formed by a single crystal or nanowire of an electroneutral material, said spring element having a first end connected to said detector substrate and a free end, said spring element projecting from said substrate and moving concomitantly with said substrate;
• a magnet emitting a permanent, constant stray magnetic field carried on said spring element, at least in a delimited region along an extent thereof, said magnet being moveable only along a substantially spherical surface having a midpoint in each case at a starting point or at said first end of said spring element, said magnet being selected from the group consisting of a coating, a mass, and a nanoparticle of the type, said spring element and said magnet jointly forming an inertial mass;
• and
• a single continuous magnetic field detection layer sensitive to field strength changes disposed in a vicinity of said first end of said spring element, and an indication unit connected to said detection layer.