Wearable devices are booming worldwide as technology advances at a rapid speed. These devices are making their space available in multiple fields, such as fitness, healthcare, consumer electronics, etc. As the quality assurance expert, I must understand the testing requirements to ensure performance and compatibility. Based on the statistics, it is found that an estimated 160 million units of wearable devices will be shipped by 2024 worldwide.
Talking about the market leader, currently, North America & Europe is leading the market. The best examples of wearable devices are smartwatches & fitness trackers, which are widely used and have an expected shipment of 280 million by 2024. The following comprehensive blog will cover the necessary aspects of conducting effective wearable device testing. Let’s take a brief understanding by reading this blog till the end.
Understanding Wearable Tech and Its Challenges
Wearable tech is a device type that is crafted to be worn on the body. The devices are available in the market in many different forms, such as accessories, clothing & medical devices. The best examples of wearable tech include Google Glass, AI hearing aids, VR headsets, etc. These devices have disposable patches with sensors that transform the patient’s data into the device.
Wearable health devices are the trusted companions of our daily lives that not only track physical activities but track necessary signs & give insights into your health & wellness. However, the reliability & trust the gadgets earn don’t come within a fraction of a second, but it’s earned through the complex procedure of testing. In the next section, we’ll talk about that testing procedure, but before that, we will learn the types of wearable technology.
- Smartwatches– These devices come to the market with multiple functionalities such as tracking steps, opting notifications, considering the heart rate & measuring the level of oxygen.
- Fitness trackers- This type of device is used for tracking steps, monitoring your activities, and counting calories.
- A body-mounted sensor device is used for evaluating & considering the blood pressure level & recording the ECG.
Common Challenges in Wearable Tech
- Battery life
Battery longevity is one of the most difficult challenges of wearable testing & developing wearable products. Wearable gadgets require good power management since battery capacity is restricted. As a result, for the devices to function for an extended period, it is critical to make optimum use of the available battery capacity. Because these devices frequently use battery power through sensors, app alerts, and mobile phone connection, you should monitor battery usage frequency for each app independently. For this purpose, most wearable gadgets communicate via Bluetooth rather than Wi-Fi.
- Durability
The battery capacity diminishes with the device. Furthermore, with numerous processes taking place in the background, battery utilization rises. Developers face this challenge while designing & Wearable testing apps to ensure that their solutions use power efficiently.
- Accuracy of Sensors
Sensor accuracy has a direct influence on the gadget’s customer satisfaction and consumer demand. So, test the smartwatch sensors for all situations. Wearable gadgets frequently use sensors to record physiological data such as blood pressure, sleep cycles, and foot count. However, such sensors may have intrinsic limits that affect their accuracy. One of the key challenges of wearable device testing is guaranteeing reliable and precise data collection.
While wearables can deliver useful information about our wellness and everyday activities, errors can undermine their efficiency. Sensor calibration, positioning, and the reliability of data analysis techniques are all critical components of obtaining accuracy. To overcome this issue, wearable producers must continuously spend R&D on upgrading sensor technology, signal handling algorithms, and stringent testing methods.
- User Interface Issues
Smart gadgets must be both useful and aesthetically pleasing, which poses a challenge to UX/UI developers. They must create a clean UI with every function, such as backdrop colors, display dimensions, and icons. Wearable device manufacturers should be careful about choosing icons that convey correct information and ensuring that the design is compatible with several platforms.
What Are the Key Areas to Focus on During Testing?
- Battery Life and Charging Cycles
Battery efficiency is the biggest factor to look for when designing a wearable gadget. Energy efficiency is crucial for wearable devices, and many designers are shifting to low-power usage designs, which will allow the gadget to stay longer between charging cycles. Wearables for medical purposes perform far more complicated duties, among others, which may require greater battery capacity.
This demands the use of long-lasting batteries that also fit into the predetermined form factor. Another important consideration for low-power design is the chip you would like to utilize. Lower geometry ASICs are appropriate for wearable devices. Companies can also choose customized ASIC designs.
- Sensor Accuracy and Calibration
A lot of wearables gather data through the sensors. Fitness trackers contain GPS to track position; heart rate monitors to measure cardiac activity & sensors to detect motion. During the testing process, the QA team should be aware of the sensor accuracy and calibration.
- Wear and Tear
Abrasive resistance testing is one of the most popular consistency tests performed to guarantee that a device can resist a suitable level of wear and tear while meeting the customers’ quality requirements. It is very essential when determining the longevity of wearable devices. The ability to assess a product’s durability against abrasion across its life cycle is especially useful for items that are frequently handled by consumers. Additionally, wear and tear testing will reveal undesirable faults and performance concerns. The QA team should also focus on the Water and dust resistance tests to build a successful wearable device.
- User Interface and Accessibility
Because wearable technology involves unique scenarios, behaviors, and demands, it presents both new possibilities and obstacles for user testing. Real people and devices should be used to test your interface in actual environments. Wearable testing should check whether the device is accessible to all types of devices.
The wearable device should be easy to use and visible under multiple lighting conditions. It should be possible for everyone, which includes those with impairments, to use wearables. In this well-connected world, it is crucial to evaluate the behavior of devices under multiple network scenarios.
Methodologies for Effective Wearable Device Testing
1. Automated Testing Techniques
The automated Wearable testing approach ensures that every necessary feature is verified step by step, saving resources and time. The following testing type is utilized to test multiple types of features like user interface, integration, and performance, which makes it the ideal approach for performing testing on wearable devices. If you want to partner with the QA team, here is what process they follow.
2. Preparation Stage
This is the crucial stage defining how the automated testing will be set up & its effectiveness.
- Analysis of the project: When you hire the professional QA team, first, they examine the software & its technical requirements. They also consider the regulatory standards like FDA guidelines & the ISO certification.
- AT strategy organization: In this phase, the QA team advises the standard way to approach automation for your needs. It includes identification of required PLs, procedure reports & frameworks.
- Building documents & setting communication: The QA team will develop a comprehensive set of documentation for the application. They will also talk about when the team will communicate to facilitate the errors quickly.
3. Active stage
Now, when the test automation for medical devices is finalized, the QA team completes the testing procedure and runs AT scripts. The team tracks the complete procedures for monitoring the software behavior, documenting the reports, and gathering insights. Here is the process of this stage- the creation of a test framework, writing tests based on documentation, and test run configuration. It also includes reporting of test results and test execution & creation of bug reports.
4. Support stage
The job of QA experts doesn’t end when they are done with reporting bugs. It is a crucial step since the analysis is done. The QA testing gathers the review of automated testing and reports it to the developer team. If you want to release a wearable device with quality standards, then this is the most crucial standard to follow.
Common Pitfalls of Wearable Testing and How to Avoid Them
To get rid of the challenges of wearable device testing, follow the factors mentioned below.
- Overlooking Real-World Usage Scenarios
To ensure that the wearable gadget works in top-notch conditions, it requires it to be tested by tracking heartbeat, oxygen level in the body, and sleep cycles daily.
For example, you can use an Apple or Android device and place them under your mattress. Adjust the device before running the test cases. By following these testing methodologies, the QA team ensures that it works in real-world scenarios. Bugs should be eliminated before the date of releasing wearable gadgets.
- Failing to Iterate Based on Feedback
Functional testing of wearables involves two crucial steps: defect identification and test reporting. Defect tracking is the process of finding, recording, and handling errors that are discovered during testing to ensure that most problems are correctly tracked and detected. The process to replicate the problem, the repeatable rate, the expected vs. actual outcomes, and any related screenshots should all be included in a clear and comprehensive description of the defect.
Test reporting is the process of creating reports, such as infographics, that simplify the testing data and offer insights. Metrics like test coverage, fault density, pass/fail rates, and a thorough description of the testing procedure and any problems found should all be included in test reports. Test results are useful in determining the product’s quality and in making judgments regarding its release.
- Ignoring the needs of the customer
Make sure you have quality marketing feedback for the specifications. Every device has extremely distinct requirements, and before the initial version of the specifications is generated, the demands of the client must be understood.
- Inadequate Specifications
To guarantee that the design team knows exactly what has to be done, the specifications must be extremely explicit. Should there be any doubts, the final work couldn’t match the desired outcome. It is necessary to list necessities in a way that makes each one testable. To make sure the completed product satisfies the needs, it requires to be tested.
- Inadequate Project Organizing
To get the maximum performance out of your design team, you need well-defined criteria, regular communication, and thorough planning. More often than not, miscommunication rather than technical problems is the root reason for failure in technical development. The requirements are where effective communication starts. The design team meets once a week to ensure that all members agree and to expedite the resolution of problems.
The wearable devices market is looking to witness tremendous growth in both demand & competitors. If businesses wish to succeed for a longer period, they should concentrate on making investments in wearable gadget testing and development. Developing new trends and meeting consumer wants are excellent strategies for dominating this specialized industry. Wearable device testing is becoming more and more important as users become more dependent on new gadgets.
Achieve Flawless Wearables: Test with Confidence Today!
You have to make sure that wearable device quality is guaranteed by adhering to these recommended testing techniques. By doing this, you’ll be able to streamline the QA procedure, save total development costs, and boost user trust in the device. With effective Wearable device testing, you can also find and fix problems before the development process.
Because of its particular needs and limitations, testing wearable technology may be a difficult and complex undertaking. QA engineers must comprehend these difficulties and create a thorough Wearable device testing plan that addresses every element of the device’s operation, efficiency, and user experience.
Through adherence to this guidance and integration of the best practices addressed, you may guarantee the dependability and commercial success of your wearable technology. By integrating the continuously updated testing strategies, you can satisfy your customers and release successful wearable devices.