Systems and methods for determining registration of robotic manipulators or associated tools and control

A method of operating a robotic system comprising a first manipulator assembly in an operating environment, the first manipulator assembly configured to support a first tool, the method comprising:

• receiving first data including first sensor data from a first plurality of sensors disposed on the first manipulator assembly and not the first tool in an operating environment, the first sensor data providing spatial information about the operating environment external to a first plurality of links of the first manipulator assembly;
• wherein the operating environment includes a second manipulator assembly comprising a second plurality of links physically coupled to a second base, the second base separately movable relative to a first base of the first manipulator assembly;
• in response to a determination that the first data are sufficient to establish a first alignment relationship between the first manipulator assembly and the second manipulator assembly, determining a first spatial relationship between t the first manipulator assembly and the second manipulator assembly using the first data including the first sensor data;
• establishing the first alignment relationship between the first manipulator assembly and the second manipulator assembly based on the first spatial relationship;
• and
• commanding, based on the first alignment relationship, motion of the second manipulator assembly in response to a command from a first input device operated by an operator.

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

• receiving first data including first sensor data from a first plurality of sensors disposed on a first manipulator assembly in an operating environment, the first sensor data providing spatial information about the operating environment external to a first plurality of links of the first manipulator assembly,
• wherein the operating environment includes a second manipulator assembly comprising a second plurality of links physically coupled to a second base, the second base separately movable relative to a first base of the first manipulator assembly;
• in response to a determination that the first data are sufficient to establish a first alignment relationship between the first manipulator assembly and the second manipulator assembly, determining a first spatial relationship between the first manipulator assembly and the second manipulator assembly using the first data including the first sensor data;
• establishing the first alignment relationship between the first manipulator assembly and the second manipulator assembly based on the first spatial relationship;
• and
• commanding, based on the first alignment relationship, motion of the second manipulator assembly in response to a command from a first input device operated by an operator.