A system comprising: a medical tool including: a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and an articulatable distal portion coupled to the distal end of the shaft and controlled using an actuator ; a processing unit including one or more processors, the processing unit configured to: determine a first target in a medical environment , wherein the articulatable distal portion is directed toward the first target ; determine a first motion of at least a portion of the shaft relative to the first target based on a sensor system or a command for controlling the shaft ; in response to the determined first motion, control, using the actuator , a pose of the articulatable distal portion so that the articulatable distal portion remains directed toward the first target ; and in response to a request for transition to a different view direction, control the pose of the articulatable distal portion to direct the articulatable distal portion toward a second target in the medical environment , characterised in that orientations of images captured by an imaging device of the medical tool during the transition are maintained by the articulate distal portion based on a reference, wherein the reference includes a reference plane or a reference direction. a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and an articulatable distal portion coupled to the distal end of the shaft and controlled using an actuator ; a processing unit including one or more processors, the processing unit configured to: determine a first target in a medical environment , wherein the articulatable distal portion is directed toward the first target ; determine a first motion of at least a portion of the shaft relative to the first target based on a sensor system or a command for controlling the shaft ; in response to the determined first motion, control, using the actuator , a pose of the articulatable distal portion so that the articulatable distal portion remains directed toward the first target ; and in response to a request for transition to a different view direction, control the pose of the articulatable distal portion to direct the articulatable distal portion toward a second target in the medical environment , characterised in that orientations of images captured by an imaging device of the medical tool during the transition are maintained by the articulate distal portion based on a reference, wherein the reference includes a reference plane or a reference direction. determine a first target in a medical environment , wherein the articulatable distal portion is directed toward the first target ; determine a first motion of at least a portion of the shaft relative to the first target based on a sensor system or a command for controlling the shaft ; in response to the determined first motion, control, using the actuator , a pose of the articulatable distal portion so that the articulatable distal portion remains directed toward the first target ; and in response to a request for transition to a different view direction, control the pose of the articulatable distal portion to direct the articulatable distal portion toward a second target in the medical environment , characterised in that orientations of images captured by an imaging device of the medical tool during the transition are maintained by the articulate distal portion based on a reference, wherein the reference includes a reference plane or a reference direction. <EOS>