A method and system provide two light beams which intersect at a remote center of motion (RCM) of a robot having an end-effector at a distal end thereof； capture images of a planned entry point and a planned path through the RCM； register the captured images to three-dimensional pre-operative images； define an entry point and path for the RCM in the captured images using the light beams； detect and track in the captured images a reference object having a known shape； in response to information about the entry point, the path, and the reference object, compute robot joint motion parameters to align the end-effector to the planned entry point and planned path； and communicate the computed robot joint motion parameters to the robot to align the end-effector to the planned entry point and the planned path.
