A robotic system comprising: an instrument having an end effector and a wrist, wherein the wrist is adapted to move the end effector in one degree of freedom; a robotic arm adapted to move the instrument in four degrees of freedom including moving the instrument along a longitudinal axis of the instrument, rotating the instrument about the longitudinal axis, and pivoting the instrument in first and second orthogonal directions about a pivot point along the longitudinal axis; characterized by: a handle assembly having a handle adapted to be movable by an operator in five degrees of freedom including; rotating the handle about a wrist axis, moving the handle along a translator axis, rotating the handle about a roll axis, and moving the handle in third and fourth directions respectively about an elbow axis and a shoulder axis, wherein the translator axis, elbow axis and shoulder axis intersect at an axis intersection point; and a controller adapted to: command the instrument wrist to move the end effector in the one degree of freedom in response to movement of the handle about the wrist axis, command the robotic arm to move the instrument along the longitudinal axis in response to movement of the handle along the translator axis, command the robotic arm to rotate the instrument about the longitudinal axis in response to rotation of the handle about the roll axis, and command the robotic arm to pivot the instrument in the first and second orthogonal directions about the pivot point in response respectively to movement of the handle in the third and fourth directions respectively about the elbow axis and the shoulder axis. an instrument having an end effector and a wrist, wherein the wrist is adapted to move the end effector in one degree of freedom; a robotic arm adapted to move the instrument in four degrees of freedom including moving the instrument along a longitudinal axis of the instrument, rotating the instrument about the longitudinal axis, and pivoting the instrument in first and second orthogonal directions about a pivot point along the longitudinal axis; characterized by: a handle assembly having a handle adapted to be movable by an operator in five degrees of freedom including; rotating the handle about a wrist axis, moving the handle along a translator axis, rotating the handle about a roll axis, and moving the handle in third and fourth directions respectively about an elbow axis and a shoulder axis, wherein the translator axis, elbow axis and shoulder axis intersect at an axis intersection point; and a controller adapted to: command the instrument wrist to move the end effector in the one degree of freedom in response to movement of the handle about the wrist axis, command the robotic arm to move the instrument along the longitudinal axis in response to movement of the handle along the translator axis, command the robotic arm to rotate the instrument about the longitudinal axis in response to rotation of the handle about the roll axis, and command the robotic arm to pivot the instrument in the first and second orthogonal directions about the pivot point in response respectively to movement of the handle in the third and fourth directions respectively about the elbow axis and the shoulder axis. a handle assembly having a handle adapted to be movable by an operator in five degrees of freedom including; rotating the handle about a wrist axis, moving the handle along a translator axis, rotating the handle about a roll axis, and moving the handle in third and fourth directions respectively about an elbow axis and a shoulder axis, wherein the translator axis, elbow axis and shoulder axis intersect at an axis intersection point; and rotating the handle about a wrist axis, moving the handle along a translator axis, rotating the handle about a roll axis, and moving the handle in third and fourth directions respectively about an elbow axis and a shoulder axis, wherein the translator axis, elbow axis and shoulder axis intersect at an axis intersection point; and a controller adapted to: command the instrument wrist to move the end effector in the one degree of freedom in response to movement of the handle about the wrist axis, command the robotic arm to move the instrument along the longitudinal axis in response to movement of the handle along the translator axis, command the robotic arm to rotate the instrument about the longitudinal axis in response to rotation of the handle about the roll axis, and command the robotic arm to pivot the instrument in the first and second orthogonal directions about the pivot point in response respectively to movement of the handle in the third and fourth directions respectively about the elbow axis and the shoulder axis. command the instrument wrist to move the end effector in the one degree of freedom in response to movement of the handle about the wrist axis, command the robotic arm to move the instrument along the longitudinal axis in response to movement of the handle along the translator axis, command the robotic arm to rotate the instrument about the longitudinal axis in response to rotation of the handle about the roll axis, and command the robotic arm to pivot the instrument in the first and second orthogonal directions about the pivot point in response respectively to movement of the handle in the third and fourth directions respectively about the elbow axis and the shoulder axis.