Systems and methods for robotic endoluminal platform

A method for performing a robotic endoscopic procedure, the method comprising:

• (a) inserting a robotic endoscope into a bodily lumen of a subject using an overtube as a guide, wherein the robotic endoscope is mechanically decoupled from a robotic drive mechanism during said inserting;
• (b) advancing the robotic endoscope through the overtube until a distal end of the robotic endoscope is positioned at a target site within the bodily lumen;
• (c) after the advancing, coupling a proximal end of the robotic endoscope to an instrument driving mechanism (IDM) of a robotic support system while the distal end of the robotic endoscope remains at the target site inside the subject;
• and
• (d) after the coupling, robotically controlling the robotic endoscope via the IDM from a user console.