# What is Jumpstarter?

Jumpstarter is a free and open-source hardware testing tool that enables you to
test your software stack on real hardware using CI/CD principles. While traditional
cloud software has been tested this was for a long time, testing edge devices has
been a challenge, as in many cases emulators for specific hardware are not available.

Automated hardware testing, often called Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) has
been around for years in industries such as automotive and manufacturing, however,
these tools are often expensive and/or inaccessible to hobbyists and open-source
projects.

Jumpstarter aims to provide powerful hardware testing tools that leverage
[Cloud Native](https://www.cncf.io/) principles, modern CI/CD technologies, 
and open standards for the next generation of edge devices.