TUV Rheinland Hong Kong organised the first seminar on TUV Rheinland's wearable device certification standard, the world's first standard for wearables, on 5 December.The Lenovo Smart Band became the first wearable device to be granted this certification in November. During the seminar, TUV Rheinland's expert Mr William Chung, Assistant Manager of Electrical, discussed his findings, including those on differences in the quality and accuracy of various wearable device functions, such as heart rate monitoring, in devices in different price ranges.
The seminar was conducted with the cooperation of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and attracted a dozen manufacturers hoping to obtain insight into the latest wearable trends. During the seminar, Mr Chung explained the mandatory safety requirements and fitness-for-use testing that wearable devices are subject to. The attendees expressed interest in learning how to define the quality of devices and conduct tests to simulate the user experience. Safety, data accuracy and comfort were also issues of key concern.
With sales of wearable devices forecast to rise, many companies are investing in R&D, and a wide variety of wearable products with different shapes and functions have been introduced to the market. The quality of these products depends on their price and the technical background of their manufacturer. To address the quality issue, TUV Rheinland has launched the world's first certification standard for wearable devices, thereby helping manufacturers to attest to the safety and smart and wearable functions of their products while also boasting of their user-friendliness.
To meet TUV Rheinland's wearable device certification standard, devices must fulfil three requirements: safety, wearability and smart functionality. Such devices are expected to be integrated into the user's life as seamlessly as possible, which may mean close contact with the user in collecting data over a long period of time. Therefore, users' primary concern is device safety. During the certification process, our experts inspect the wearable device itself, as well as its battery and power adapter. The certification standard also covers wireless connectivity, electromagnetic compatibility and hazardous substance use to minimise the potential hazards for users.
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