> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://doc.kovio.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sim & hardware modes

> Validate the full path in sim, then switch to live sensors.

The SDK runs in one of two modes, set by `KOVIO_MODE` in
`/etc/kovio/kovio.env`. The installer defaults to `sim`.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="sim (default)">
    Synthetic foot traffic. Validates uptake, registration, and the full
    reporting loop on the real robot and network — without needing the camera
    pipeline configured. Ideal for a first install and for proving connectivity.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="hardware">
    Live perception from the RealSense depth camera and Livox LiDAR. Use once
    the robot is positioned for real audiences.

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -fsSL https://dist.kovio.dev/install.sh | sudo KOVIO_MODE=hardware bash -s -- <YOUR_FLEET_KEY>
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Switching modes later

```bash theme={null}
sudo sed -i 's/^KOVIO_MODE=.*/KOVIO_MODE=hardware/' /etc/kovio/kovio.env
sudo systemctl restart kovio
```

<Tip>
  Start in `sim` to confirm the robot shows up on your dashboard, then switch to
  `hardware` once you're confident in connectivity.
</Tip>