System and method for maintaining a tool position and orientation

A method of controlling a computer-assisted device comprising an articulated structure, the method comprising:

• determining, by a control unit, an error that is introduced, by movement of a first joint of a plurality of joints of the articulated structure, to a position of an instrument, an orientation of the instrument, or both the position of the instrument and the orientation of the instrument, the instrument being supported by the articulated structure;
• and
• in response at least to determining that a second joint of the plurality of joints is at a range of motion limit or is about to reach the range of motion limit:
• driving one or more joints of the plurality of joints to partially reduce the error, the one or more joints not comprising the second joint, and
• provide feedback that not all of the error is reduced.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium including a plurality of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors associated with a computer-assisted device, are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

• determining an error introduced, by movement of a first joint of a plurality of joints of an articulated structure com the computer-assisted device, into a position and an orientation of an instrument supported by the articulated structure and
• in response to determining that a second joint of the plurality of joints is at a range of motion limit or is about to reach the range of motion limit:
• driving one or more joints of the plurality of joints to partially compensate for the error, the one or more joints not comprising the second joint, and
• providing feedback that not all of the error is reduced.