Systems and methods for holding a flexible elongate device in a pose

A medical system comprising:

• a flexible elongate device including:
• a flexible body with a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the flexible body includes a plurality of sub-portions;
• a shape sensor extending along at least a portion of the flexible body;
• and
• a stiffening mechanism having a plurality of stiffening elements, each of the stiffening elements positioned within one of the plurality of sub-portions, wherein the sub-portions extend along the flexible body;
• and
• a controller connected in communication with the shape sensor, configured to activate selected ones of the plurality of stiffening elements based in part on data received from the shape sensor.

A method of holding a pose of a flexible body using a controller, the method comprising:

• measuring a current configuration of a flexible body based at least in part on sensor data from a sensor coupled to the flexible body;
• receiving information identifying a target area of anatomy;
• and
• selectively activating a plurality of stiffening elements distributed down the length of the flexible body, wherein each of the plurality of stiffening elements is activated independently based on the current configuration and the information identifying the target area of anatomy.