T.H.E. Tool

Introducing T.H.E. Tool, which stands for Tactical Hand Equipment Tool. One tool to help you work through all your land management tasks!

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The image above may appear to the unfamiliar eye as a healthy forest ecosystem. To others, they can quickly identify the many short shrubby plants as Japanese barberry, or Berberus thunbergii. This non-native forest plant wrecks havoc on natural forest areas throughout many acres of American forests, where it lacks natural predators to curb its expansion.

As you can see on the pulled plant, the structure consists of shallow, horizontal roots (good news for those pulling), multiple thin stems, and if you can tell multiple barbs on the branches, similar to a needle.

Large-scale removal efforts of barberry consist of chemical treatments, which can have negative impacts on surrounding plants and animals. Hand pulling is an option, though tedious and not practical for aging land owners and volunteers.

Prototype Innovation

Design Lab

Exploring the intersection of sustainability and creativity, T.H.E. Tool aims to not only increase the accessibility of Japanese barberry removal, but to provide a tool to help landowners, land managers, and volunteers better restore and maintain the land under their stewardship. Our team is dedicated to revolutionizing how we can improve the environment through innovative design. From eco-friendly materials to cutting-edge technologies, we strive to make a positive impact on the world. Join us on this journey towards a greener future.

Discover More

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E Team

Fall 2024 Learning Factory Team

In working to bring concept to reality, Custom Created LLC sponsored a Penn State Learning Factory team. This engineering senior undergraduate capstone course put 6 creative minds to work on building prototypes of T.H.E. Tool. Starting with wood, working up to square metal tubing, we were able to move out of the ideation phase into a functional prototype. Although great progress was made, the team was unable to design a marketable product. The most important part was having the opportunity to showcase functionality and begin work on patenting the design. The team ended the semester with three designed prototypes and a provisional patent.

The Team

Spring 2025 Learning Factory Team

From a successful proof of concept, we were awarded the James Dyson Foundation Award to sponsor another Learning Factory team! This current team also consists of 6 engineering seniors. The team shifted directions to focus on designing the collapsable, multi-use base. This would be the first and most essential part of the tool. Working off of last semester's team, we have been making strides with the design process, currently making connections to print the tool out of metal. Here are images of the base at 1/4 scale.

Moving Forward

The future of T.H.E. Tool

Working directly with Penn State's Intellectual Property Clinic, we will be aiming to submit a patent by the end of the year. With prototype testing, this will aim to incorporate a research component, utilizing a methodological approach to measure removal with T.H.E. Tool vs our competitors. Currently, two locations have been identified as pilot testing sights on a federal and state owned land. A potential third private location is also secured, though this removal would be for profit. We are looking towards securing grants to support the develop, but also interested in working with manufacturers to commercialize our product.

Future Vision

The future of Eco-mind Products

T.H.E. Tool is special because it is the first product designed by Custom Created LLC. While we have our eyes on future innovative technology, our priority is to showcase success by solving a problem and market gap through our design process. All profits realized by T.H.E. Tools sales through Eco-mind Products will either go back into Custom Created LLC or our social-oriented sister organizations. The ultimate goal is to boost the efforts of ecosystem restoration through practical and sustainable solutions. Through our continued work, we plan to market future innovative technology designed by Custom Created LLC's team through Eco-mind Products. We will potentially collaborate with other like-minded organizations to market their product as well.

Measuring Opportunity

Social and Ecological Impact

We are excited for the ability to leverage our knowledge and passion to make a positive impact for current and future generations. Our commitment is to ensure our profit does not come at the expense of others, whether that be through excessive resource use or products that have built-in shortcomings. We wish to create jobs by identifying where solutions to social and environmental problems exist then directly gleaming the opportunity to build livelihoods from the solution design. Bringing a systems-thinking approach will serve the communities we operate within and allow us to improve while profiting.