Autonomous, low-power signal producing unit, in particular a sensor and control unit, comprising: - a support structure; - at least one electrical generator supported by said support structure, said generator comprising a stator and a rotor; - at least one driving element configured to drive said generator, wherein the relative orientation of the driving element with respect to the support structure can be changed by an external power source, such as human power, in order to drive said generator, and; - at least one signal processing circuit powered by said generator, said circuit comprising: ∘ at least one signal producing element (14, 15), wherein this at least one signal producing element (14, 15) is configured to produce at least one distinctive input signal related to the displacement of the same driving element with respect to the support structure, and ∘ preferably at least one signal processor, connected to at least one of said signal producing elements (14,15), configured to receive the input signals produced by said at least one signal producing element (14,15) and to transform at least one input signal into at least one output signal representative for the displacement of the driving element with respect to the support structure, characterized in that at least one rotary component of the signal producing unit forms at least a part of at least one signal producing element (14,15), such that this signal producing element is configured to produce a signal, the characteristics of which signal being dependent on the movement speed, the acceleration, the movement direction, the position, and/or the incremental position of the driving element with respect to the support structure, wherein said rotary component is chosen from the group consisting of: a rotary driving element, a rotor (3b, 26a) of a generator (3, 26), and a transmission element (4,41a,41b) positioned in between the driving element (8,42) and a rotor (3b, 26a) of a generator (3, 26). - a support structure; - at least one electrical generator supported by said support structure, said generator comprising a stator and a rotor; - at least one driving element configured to drive said generator, wherein the relative orientation of the driving element with respect to the support structure can be changed by an external power source, such as human power, in order to drive said generator, and; - at least one signal processing circuit powered by said generator, said circuit comprising: ∘ at least one signal producing element (14, 15), wherein this at least one signal producing element (14, 15) is configured to produce at least one distinctive input signal related to the displacement of the same driving element with respect to the support structure, and ∘ preferably at least one signal processor, connected to at least one of said signal producing elements (14,15), configured to receive the input signals produced by said at least one signal producing element (14,15) and to transform at least one input signal into at least one output signal representative for the displacement of the driving element with respect to the support structure, ∘ at least one signal producing element (14, 15), wherein this at least one signal producing element (14, 15) is configured to produce at least one distinctive input signal related to the displacement of the same driving element with respect to the support structure, and ∘ preferably at least one signal processor, connected to at least one of said signal producing elements (14,15), configured to receive the input signals produced by said at least one signal producing element (14,15) and to transform at least one input signal into at least one output signal representative for the displacement of the driving element with respect to the support structure,