SCULK SENSOR
A wireless redstone component that detects vibrations (footsteps, block placement, etc.) within a 9-block radius and outputs a redstone signal. Different vibrations produce different signal strengths.
Crafting Recipe
Found in Deep Dark biome (not craftable)
Signal Behavior
Input
InputVibrations (sound events) within 9-block radius
Output
OutputSignal strength 1-15 depending on vibration type
Max Signal Strength
Max Signal Strength15
Delay
DelayVaries (vibration travel time + 2 game ticks)
Modes
- Passive detection
- Filtered with wool
Overview: what the Sculk Sensor is and does
A wireless redstone component that detects vibrations (footsteps, block placement, etc.) within a 9-block radius and outputs a redstone signal. Different vibrations produce different signal strengths.
As a power source it sits at the start of a circuit, generating the signal that everything downstream reacts to. It is the game's first practical wireless redstone source, reacting to vibrations through walls and around corners.
The Sculk Sensor was added to Minecraft in 1.19 and everything described here reflects its behaviour in Java Edition 1.21.
How it works: the redstone mechanics
On the input side, vibrations (sound events) within 9-block radius. On the output side, signal strength 1-15 depending on vibration type.
It listens for vibration events within a 9-block radius and outputs a signal whose strength depends on which event fired — walking, landing, and block placement each map to a different frequency. After triggering it enters a short cooldown before it can listen again. Wool laid between the source and the sensor absorbs the vibration entirely.
Timing-wise, factor in varies (vibration travel time + 2 game ticks) when you wire it into a sequenced circuit.
It can output a maximum signal strength of 15, which travels 15 blocks through bare redstone dust before fading to nothing.
It operates in the following modes: passive detection and filtered with wool.
How to set it up
- 1Obtain the Sculk Sensor: Found in Deep Dark biome (not craftable).
- 2Decide where the signal needs to start or land, then place the Sculk Sensor against a solid surface so it can feed the rest of your circuit.
- 3Run redstone dust away from it toward the component you want to control, remembering the signal will fall by 1 per block.
- 4Test in a creative-mode plot first: trigger the input and confirm the Sculk Sensor behaves exactly as the timing above predicts before committing it to a survival build.
Uses & applications
- ▸Wireless redstone
- ▸Sound-based triggers
- ▸Mob detection without line of sight
- ▸Hidden mechanisms
Tips & common mistakes
- !Wool blocks vibrations between source and sensor
- !Different actions produce different signal strengths
- !Cooldown period between detections
- !Because every nearby noise can set it off, surround it with wool to mute stray vibrations and only leave a gap toward the action you actually want to detect.
Sculk Sensor FAQ
What is the Sculk Sensor used for in Minecraft redstone?
The Sculk Sensor is most often used for wireless redstone, sound-based triggers, mob detection without line of sight, and hidden mechanisms. As a power source it sits at the start of a circuit, generating the signal that everything downstream reacts to.
What signal strength does the Sculk Sensor output?
Signal strength 1-15 depending on vibration type. Its maximum signal strength is 15.
How do you get the Sculk Sensor?
Found in Deep Dark biome (not craftable). It was introduced in 1.19.
Does the Sculk Sensor add any delay to a circuit?
Yes — varies (vibration travel time + 2 game ticks). Account for that timing when chaining it with other components, especially in clocks and fast doors.