Abstract: The invention includes a device (20) for detection of respiratory, cardiac, and/or other motion of a subject (32) during acquisition of an magnetic resonance image that includes a lever (22) having a proximal (23) and a distal end (25), a counterweight (26) on the proximal end of the lever, a fulcrum (24), a pickup coil (28) attached to the distal end of the lever, and a MRI machine (30) that has a radio frequency resonator, a gradient coil, and a magnetic field, wherein the lever (22), fulcrum (24), counterweight (26), and pickup coil (28) are positioned so that the lever (22) moves as the subject (20) breathes, the pickup coil (28) is also positioned so that it does not cause artifacts in the MRI image, and the device (20) as a whole generates an electrical signal that can be used to detect and monitor the respiratory motion of the subject (20).