There has been a recent research breakthrough in the understanding of the unique mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) abilities of soft polymer gels. These gel polymers, commonly PVC-based, have been widely studied regarding their actuation abilities. As a sensor however, the current mechanism hypothesis has been recently attributed to the phenomenon known as Langmuir adsorption. In this study, an application-based approach is considered to exercise the content of the suggested MET theory. Outcomes of this study include characterization of polymer gel sensors within an aquatic environment, as well as hydrofoil flow visualization via particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) with analogous gel sensor data.
