Safe Device for a Theatrical Hanging

A low-cost hanging system was requested by the Theatre Department for the production of Henry V. Design constraints were developed with an emphasis on the actor’s safety. To that end, biomechanical literature related to head and neck injury was reviewed. During testing of the device, acceleration measurements were made for comparison with literature values. Finite element analysis was performed on the structural support to determine its effectiveness. The final design met all of the criteria and was tested extensively by the designers.