New Guide for Sensory Evaluation of Small Devices (guiding principles--non-specified product)
1. Scope
1.1This guide will provide general guiding principles for the sensory evaluation of small devices. 1.2The guide is intended to be limited to products that are handheld devices and wearable devices or equipment. 1.3This guide addresses, users, sensory and psychometric attributes related to the evaluation process, and general sensory data gathering guidelines to conduct a sensory evaluation of a small device. 1.4The guide will include the perceived performance of such items. 1.5The guide will include generally the areas of trained assessors and consumer affective assessors. 1.6The term small devices is limited and not intended to include all possible small devices but rather a range of devices that are commonly found in the market place or otherwise of interest to the ASTM user population. 1.7The guide will not provide detailed guidance for any specified product but rather is intended to be a best practices document to be used with practitioners who can use good judgment in applying the principles provided in the guide to a specified product and context. 1.8The guide will not recommend a specific testing method. The user is responsible for identifying the most appropriate test design and analysis tools to address the purposes of the user. 1.9This guide does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to its use.
There is a lack of published guidance focused on small hand-held and worn devices and how to best evaluate sensory and psychometric properties and performance by consumers or trained assessors. The U.S. Army has many such devices and a standard method of general practices or guidelines focused on small devices would be very helpful. Other users in the market place have need for such a reference. For example, there has been a large increase in the use of wrist-born activity monitors by both civilian and military populations. The evaluation of these type and many other types of consumer products that fit within the scope of being a hand-held or worn small device is warranted. A standard guide for the sensory evaluation of such would be helpful to government agencies, consumer research companies, and product developers.
