Development of electric field sensing system as a putative skin sensation sensor

Some kinds of animals, such as sharks or catfish, has extra ordinary skin sensation system, mediated by electric field in aqueous solution. Such a sensation of animal is used for detection of pray creatures in water of low visibility. Mimicking this kind of detection mechanism, we developed a sensing system, mediated by electric field in aqueous gel. A contact detection system with a gel layer and electrodes was constructed and characteristics of the system was measured quantitatively.