A surgical system can include a surgical probe having a deflectable tip, and a plurality of guide arms that are movable so as to cause the tip to deflect. Thus, the surgical probe can be steered toward a target anatomical location. The surgical system can further include a control system that includes a free floating user interface, and a motion sensor that detects motion of the user interface. The control system is configured to cause the probe tip to deflect in response to the detected motion of the user interface.