My high school's (American) football field is made of turf instead of
grass. This fake plastic grass is cheap and easy to maintain, but
sometimes its fluorescent color scheme can get a bit taxing on the
eyes. As I always say, if you have a field, why not turn it into an
interactive art exhibit?
In
my dream field, each blade of artificial turf is made so that it can
change colors like the skin of a chameleon in response to varying
amounts of electrical stimulus. If the amount of voltage were
regulated enough, an almost infinite range of color could be
available. Each tiny plastic frond has a tiny microprocessor chip
underneath it to control its color, and all of the blades are wired to
one control board.
The controller can use this board to create stunning displays of
flashing and swirling color dancing across the field, to please the
spectators. These shows could be used as halftime entertainment
during games, or even to add flavor during gameplay. At night, the
artificial glass would glow brightly to the oohing and aahing of the
stunned crowd.
Every few minutes the time, in digital form, could float across the
field. Icons or words (TOUCHDOWN!, etc.) could also be made to
appear in the center of the turf.
Another option during games would be to turn on the pressure
sensors in the ground, one for each plastic leaf. Depending on the
amount of force the turf is hit with, it could change a different
color, and fade back to green after a while. It would be wonderful
to see the orange footprints of the players trail them as they run
down the field. When a single player is taken down, the falling body
creates a stain of bright yellow on the field. Major pile-ups would
create an area of red on the ground, mottled with yellows and
oranges where there was less weight on the turf.
Using heat sensors in the field in the same way would create an
equally spectacular effect.
When not in athletic use, the field could be used as a fundraiser by
selling tickets to the sold-out nightly light shows.