# Introduction

You're holding something powerful.

Cube is your edge AI command center — it’s a high-performance AI appliance designed to run powerful software and models *right where the data lives*.

Whether you're deploying on a factory floor, testing in the field, or demoing AI apps for customers — the Cube is your plug-and-play edge cloud.\ <br>

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### What does the Cube actually do?

Think of it as a **mini cloud**, sitting wherever you need it most. It:

* Runs AI apps like LLMs, vision models, and workflows locally
* Works with or without internet (yep, fully autonomous)
* Lets you connect to it securely — no DevOps rabbit holes
* Comes with everything preloaded: networking, access, apps, and a K8s cluster

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### Who’s the Cube for?

If you’re a:

* **Developer** trying to test apps on real data
* **Engineer** running inference in disconnected sites
* **Field Ops** user who needs real-time decisions at the edge
* **SaaS team** turning your app into an edge service

…you’re in the right place.

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### What’s in this doc?

This guide walks you through:

* What the Cube is and why it exists
* What’s inside (hardware + software)
* How to access it (WiFi, Teleport, Apollo)
* What to try first

If you’ve just received a Cube in a Pelican box — skip ahead to[ Just got your cube!?](https://docs.edgescaleai-cube.com/just-got-your-cube) and let’s get started.

You’re about to do something cool.