A computer-assisted medical device (110, 210, 420, 1101, 1111, 1121, 1131, 1141, 1151, 1161) comprising: a first articulated arm, the first articulated arm configured to be coupled to an end effector, and having a first joint set and a second joint set; and a control unit, when coupled to the first articulated arm and a surgical table (170, 280, 1100), is configured to: configure one or more joints in the first joint set to a floating mode; maintain an imaging coordinate frame (363, 411, 440) in fixed relationship to a table top (180, 384, 1102) of the surgical table (170, 280, 1100) based on motion data received from the surgical table (170, 280, 1100); detect movement of the first joint set caused by a movement of a patient into which the end effector is inserted, the movement of the patient being due to a movement of the surgical table (170, 280, 1100) on which the patient is located; drive the second joint set based on the movement of the surgical table (170, 280, 1100); receive, from a user manipulating an input control, an instrument motion command to move the end effector while the surgical table (170, 280, 1100) is moving, the instrument motion command being relative to the imaging coordinate frame (363, 411, 440); and move the end effector based on the instrument motion command. a first articulated arm, the first articulated arm configured to be coupled to an end effector, and having a first joint set and a second joint set; and a control unit, when coupled to the first articulated arm and a surgical table (170, 280, 1100), is configured to: configure one or more joints in the first joint set to a floating mode; maintain an imaging coordinate frame (363, 411, 440) in fixed relationship to a table top (180, 384, 1102) of the surgical table (170, 280, 1100) based on motion data received from the surgical table (170, 280, 1100); detect movement of the first joint set caused by a movement of a patient into which the end effector is inserted, the movement of the patient being due to a movement of the surgical table (170, 280, 1100) on which the patient is located; drive the second joint set based on the movement of the surgical table (170, 280, 1100); receive, from a user manipulating an input control, an instrument motion command to move the end effector while the surgical table (170, 280, 1100) is moving, the instrument motion command being relative to the imaging coordinate frame (363, 411, 440); and move the end effector based on the instrument motion command. configure one or more joints in the first joint set to a floating mode; maintain an imaging coordinate frame (363, 411, 440) in fixed relationship to a table top (180, 384, 1102) of the surgical table (170, 280, 1100) based on motion data received from the surgical table (170, 280, 1100); detect movement of the first joint set caused by a movement of a patient into which the end effector is inserted, the movement of the patient being due to a movement of the surgical table (170, 280, 1100) on which the patient is located; drive the second joint set based on the movement of the surgical table (170, 280, 1100); receive, from a user manipulating an input control, an instrument motion command to move the end effector while the surgical table (170, 280, 1100) is moving, the instrument motion command being relative to the imaging coordinate frame (363, 411, 440); and move the end effector based on the instrument motion command.