How does the technology work? Astro Turf football fields are consisted of plastic blades of grass that are filled with small, crumbly rubber like shavings. These fields are very convenient since they can be used throughout the year without having to worry about weather. There is no need to mow the grass since its artificial and it looks a lot cleaner than other natural grass fields because of this. The Astro Turf fields have a lot of grip in comparison to normal grass. They are incredibly easy to maintain and don't have any dents for players to worry about which are quite common in natural grass fields.
Where was the technology discovered/invented? Artificial Turf was invented in 1965 by Donald L. Elbert, James M. Faria and Robert T. Wright in the United States. It was originally sold under the name ChemGrass until It was re-branded as AstroTurf by company employee John A. Wortmann. After its first well-publicized use at the Houston Astrodome stadium in 1966. This was a great invention for sport and especially soccer. This was actually invented to avoid the cost of laying natural turf but it has turned out to be a surface for all round sports.
Does the technology significantly help improve the sport in terms of performance, safety etc. Or is it just a fad? I believe that the technology has significantly improved the sport in terms of performance because it really cuts down the differentiation of different parts of the soccer field and is extremely even compared to natural grass fields. Some people would say that this technology is just a fad and is just used for presentation. However i believe that it makes the playing field more consistent benefiting both teams in terms of shooting, tech-skill and passing. Astro turf is also safer because the chance for hazards such as potholes to appear are very low compared to natural grass fields.
Has the technology spread to other parts of the world through sport? This technology was invented in America but has spread all over the world with countries in asia and Europe using it very often since they suffer from very different weather conditions throughout the year and also its professional look and high quality. Australia is also using the AstroTurf quite a lot in soccer fields across Australia. This technology is not only for just soccer but for other sports around the world Gridiron/NFL, and even Baseball. It has improved sport all over the world dramatically by making the games more even and the playing surfaces better quality so that there is a better quality game for the players.
Give 1 example of when, throughout preparation and performance, the technology is used? This technology is used at venues, stadiums and facilities. It is used in high level competition across the globe. It's also used for practice since its very even and consistent. It is also very comfortable to play on and can be played on throughout the year without having to worry about damage from environmental factors such as rain. Because of this its very practical.