Path-based navigation of tubular networks

A medical robotic system, comprising:

• a set of one or more processors;
• and
• at least one computer-readable memory in communication with the set of processors and having stored thereon a model of a mapped portion of a luminal network of a patient, a position of a target with respect to the model, and a path along at least a portion of the model from an access point to the target, the memory further having stored thereon computer-executable instructions to cause the set of processors to:
• determine that the path leaves the mapped portion of the luminal network before reaching the target,
• display a current location of an instrument via at least a first modality, the first modality derives a location based on location data received from a set of one or more location sensors and the mapped portion of the model, the instrument is configured to be driven through the luminal network,
• determine, based on the current location, that the distal end of the instrument is within a threshold range of a point at which the path leaves the mapped portion of the luminal network, and
• in response to determining that that the distal end of the instrument is within the threshold range of the point, update the current location of the instrument based on a reduction of a weight given to the first modality.