When testing wheelchairs it is often necessary to simulate a human occupant. Test dummies designed for motor vehicle crash testing are used where it is appropriate to do so, but they are expensive. A need exists for an affordable alternative. The first edition of ISO 7176-11, published in 1992, specified a set of test dummies that would be suitable for most wheelchair tests. The designs were intended to provide an appropriate total load mass, to approximate the mass distribution of a human occupant, to avoid unrepresentative damage to the wheelchair, to be durable and to be inexpensive to manufacture.

Experience of using the first edition of ISO 7176-11 and related test dummy specifications showed that test dummies did not always provide repeatable results, particularly for static and dynamic stability tests. Several areas for improvement have been identified: to extend the mass range, to enable a test dummy of arbitrary mass to be made, to enable verification of the location of the overall centre of mass and to enable adjustment of the position of the overall centre of mass. This second edition of ISO 7176-11 is intended to provide these improvements.