A teleoperated surgical system comprising: a manually movable component comprising a plurality of links and joints, the manually movable component having a plurality of mechanical degrees of freedom, the manually movable component configured to generate a plurality of signals indicating movement of the plurality of mechanical degrees of freedom; and a detection module coupled to the component and configured to; identify uncontrolled movement of the component using the plurality of signals by determining that: the plurality of signals indicate a difference between a current tip location of the manually movable component and a tip location recorded when tip movement last indicated definitive movement and that said difference is outside of a safe range; or a mechanical degree of freedom of the manually movable component that is affected by gravity has moved, and that a mechanical degree of freedom of the component that is not affected by gravity has not moved; or the plurality of signals indicate that no definitive input has occurred on a master control, wherein the definitive input comprises an input selected from the group consisting of a change in a roll angle and a change in a grip separation; and command the system to switch from an operating mode to a safe mode in response to identifying an uncontrolled movement of the component, wherein: the component comprises the master control, the operating mode comprises a following mode in which a slave device moves in response to movement of the master control, and the safe mode comprises a mode in which the slave device is held in its position and does not move in response to movement of the master control. a manually movable component comprising a plurality of links and joints, the manually movable component having a plurality of mechanical degrees of freedom, the manually movable component configured to generate a plurality of signals indicating movement of the plurality of mechanical degrees of freedom; and a detection module coupled to the component and configured to; identify uncontrolled movement of the component using the plurality of signals by determining that: the plurality of signals indicate a difference between a current tip location of the manually movable component and a tip location recorded when tip movement last indicated definitive movement and that said difference is outside of a safe range; or a mechanical degree of freedom of the manually movable component that is affected by gravity has moved, and that a mechanical degree of freedom of the component that is not affected by gravity has not moved; or the plurality of signals indicate that no definitive input has occurred on a master control, wherein the definitive input comprises an input selected from the group consisting of a change in a roll angle and a change in a grip separation; and command the system to switch from an operating mode to a safe mode in response to identifying an uncontrolled movement of the component, identify uncontrolled movement of the component using the plurality of signals by determining that: the plurality of signals indicate a difference between a current tip location of the manually movable component and a tip location recorded when tip movement last indicated definitive movement and that said difference is outside of a safe range; or a mechanical degree of freedom of the manually movable component that is affected by gravity has moved, and that a mechanical degree of freedom of the component that is not affected by gravity has not moved; or the plurality of signals indicate that no definitive input has occurred on a master control, wherein the definitive input comprises an input selected from the group consisting of a change in a roll angle and a change in a grip separation; and the plurality of signals indicate a difference between a current tip location of the manually movable component and a tip location recorded when tip movement last indicated definitive movement and that said difference is outside of a safe range; or a mechanical degree of freedom of the manually movable component that is affected by gravity has moved, and that a mechanical degree of freedom of the component that is not affected by gravity has not moved; or the plurality of signals indicate that no definitive input has occurred on a master control, wherein the definitive input comprises an input selected from the group consisting of a change in a roll angle and a change in a grip separation; and command the system to switch from an operating mode to a safe mode in response to identifying an uncontrolled movement of the component, wherein: the component comprises the master control, the operating mode comprises a following mode in which a slave device moves in response to movement of the master control, and the safe mode comprises a mode in which the slave device is held in its position and does not move in response to movement of the master control.