Devices, systems, and methods for providing a desired movement of one or more joints of a manipulator arm having a plurality of joints with redundant degrees of freedom while effecting commanded movement of a distal end effector of the manipulator. Methods include defining a constraint, such as a network of paths, within a joint space defined by the one or more joints and determining a movement of the plurality of joints within a null-space to track the constraints with the one or more joints. Methods may further include calculating a reconfiguration movement of the joints and modifying the constraints to coincide with a reconfigured position of the one or more joints. Various configurations for devices and systems utilizing such methods are provided herein.
