Set up your first machine

Connect your first machine to the Viam platform so you can configure, control, and monitor it from anywhere. You’ll create a machine in the Viam app, install Viam on your compute device, and confirm it’s online.

A machine is the combination of your compute resources and hardware that you want to control using Viam. Every machine has at least one part: the computer that runs Viam’s software and is connected to one or more physical devices. A part can be almost any computer, including your own Mac or PC. For more, see Machines and parts.

1. Create a machine in the Viam app

  1. Go to app.viam.com and log in (or create an account).
  2. Open a location.
  3. Click Add machine, enter a name (for example, my-first-machine), and click Add machine again.

The app opens your new machine’s page on the CONFIGURE tab. The tab shows a banner titled Set up your machine.

2. Open the setup wizard

In the Set up your machine banner, click Install.

The setup wizard opens and asks Does your project have a separate board/computer? Follow the guidance in the setup wizard to set up your machine on Viam.

If you don’t have your hardware yet, the setup wizard can also run your machine in a simulated environment in the cloud, so you can start configuring and testing right away. See Simulate a machine.

3. Add hardware in the CONFIGURE tab

Your machine is connected, but it has no components configured yet. To make the machine do anything, add the hardware you want to use through the CONFIGURE tab on your machine’s page.

For each piece of hardware (camera, motor, sensor, arm, gripper, base):

  1. Click the + button on the CONFIGURE tab.
  2. Select Component.
  3. Search for the model that matches your hardware. Search by manufacturer or hardware type (for example, webcam, viam:raspberry-pi:rpi5, viam:ufactory:xArm6).
  4. Name the component and click Create.
  5. Fill in the required attributes (pin numbers, device paths, API keys) and click Save.

For walkthroughs by component type and the full configuration reference, see Configure hardware.

What’s next