We propose to create and investigate a novel tactile sensor based on standard CMOS technology with the addition of a customized piezoelectric layer. The structure will yield spike firing patterns in response to a pressure stimulus. We also realize networks of oscillating silicon neurons operating on a biological time scale and study the effect of stimuli on the network dynamics. To eventually be able to better compare the response of artificial networks with biological ones, we set a track for accruing the necessary skills for recording local field potentials from reptiles and relating the technical and biological model domains.