As Hamilton County boasts 400+ acres of sports facilities and more than 150 multi-purpose fields, local organizations are leaning on new technologies to provide the best for athletes who compete here. Grand Park in Westfield and the youth organization Carmel Dad’s Club have invested in new tech to increase sustainability, cut costs, and create new efficiencies.

Most notably, the Turf Tank Robotic Field Painter is helping keep players on the field across Hamilton County. Strides have also been made in autonomous field mowing. 

Matt Trnian is in his 12th season as Director of Grand Park, which draws millions of visitors annually. Between soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse and the Indianapolis Colts training camp, Grand Park must be efficient to stay ready. Trnian and the team bought two Turf Tank painting units, and now the athletes – from t-ball to the NFL – are always on the field.

“With the various events and field styles we have, this has allowed us to be more efficient in our human resources and painting,” Trnian said. “It’s allowed us to create a lot of different fields.”

Grand Park covers 400 acres and contains 31 multi-purpose fields. Instead of using immense time and resources painting fields, Trnian and the team there can focus on providing the best overall experience possible for visitingteams and events. Grand Park has used the Turf Tank units since 2017, utilizing the GPS technology to put down perfect fields.

But before the paint goes down, the fields that are natural grass must be mowed to perfection. Grand Park has been a test site for autonomous mowers, using a relationship with Purdue University’s turf maintenance program. Trnian estimates that Grand Park has decreased mowing time by 50% by lessening the human labor needs in mowing. “It allows us to explore having the best playing surfaces for the athletes,” Trnian said. “It’s a great way to utilize technology.”

Another key factor in the usage of new tech in sports facilities is increased sustainability. Because of adopted tech enhancements, Grand Park uses fewer motorized vehicles and less paint. Grand Park then combines those improvements with its work in water sustainability. The massive facility uses the largest irrigation system in the state of Indiana, using no city water at all.

Carmel Dad’s Club (CDC) covers 175 acres of surface, and leadership there is considering “autonomous everything,” says facility superintendent Josh Blackmore, who has overseen facilities in Carmel for 22 years. Blackmore also sings the praises of Turf Tank and is also keeping an eye on autonomous mowers, among other tech advances.

“Many years ago, we started investigating autonomous painting, and once you see it in action, it sells itself. Everything looks professionally painted for our youth athletes,” Blackmore said.

Blackmore notes the efficiency of being able to paint a football field in 45 minutes. Before Turf Tank, Carmel Dad’s Club used to spend two weeks prepping fields by hand for baseball and softball. Now, that task takes two days. Mark Badger Memorial Park in Carmel, which holds 16 soccer fields of varying sizes, can be ready for kickoff in minutes. Fields can be mowed while the Turf Tank is painting. That means the Carmel Dad’s Club staff is free to serve its stakeholders much more efficiently.

“Our biggest priority is player safety and field playability,” Blackmore said.

Like Trnian and the team at Grand Park, Blackmore notes the benefits of increased sustainability. CDC saves on paint and battery usage. That led the Carmel organization to buy a second Turf Tank unit recently. Between GPS-powered automated painting and mowing, advancements in technology have allowed the biggest sports facilities in Hamilton County to give athletes of all ages an edge. Increased sustainability has been an added benefit, allowing teams and event owners to focus on what matters most when competing.