A medical system comprising: an elongate instrument including a flexible component, the flexible component including a first sensor system extending therein, wherein the first sensor system includes a shape sensor including a fiber optic shape sensor; a control system in communication with the first sensor system to measure a pose of the elongate instrument, the control system adapted to perform operations comprising: generating a first model of the elongate instrument based on the measured pose of the elongate instrument, wherein the measured pose is based on shape data from the shape sensor; generating a second model of the elongate instrument based on a reference pose of the elongate instrument, wherein the reference pose is based on shape data from the shape sensor; comparing the first model with the second model; and determining a state of a system configuration based on the comparison, wherein the state of the system configuration includes a state of a patient when the elongate instrument is positioned relative to the patient or a state of the elongate instrument, and wherein the determining the state of the system configuration comprises determining whether the patient has moved or whether the elongate instrument has buckled. an elongate instrument including a flexible component, the flexible component including a first sensor system extending therein, wherein the first sensor system includes a shape sensor including a fiber optic shape sensor; a control system in communication with the first sensor system to measure a pose of the elongate instrument, the control system adapted to perform operations comprising: generating a first model of the elongate instrument based on the measured pose of the elongate instrument, wherein the measured pose is based on shape data from the shape sensor; generating a second model of the elongate instrument based on a reference pose of the elongate instrument, wherein the reference pose is based on shape data from the shape sensor; comparing the first model with the second model; and determining a state of a system configuration based on the comparison, wherein the state of the system configuration includes a state of a patient when the elongate instrument is positioned relative to the patient or a state of the elongate instrument, and wherein the determining the state of the system configuration comprises determining whether the patient has moved or whether the elongate instrument has buckled. generating a first model of the elongate instrument based on the measured pose of the elongate instrument, wherein the measured pose is based on shape data from the shape sensor; generating a second model of the elongate instrument based on a reference pose of the elongate instrument, wherein the reference pose is based on shape data from the shape sensor; comparing the first model with the second model; and determining a state of a system configuration based on the comparison, wherein the state of the system configuration includes a state of a patient when the elongate instrument is positioned relative to the patient or a state of the elongate instrument, and wherein the determining the state of the system configuration comprises determining whether the patient has moved or whether the elongate instrument has buckled.