System and method of virtual feedback with haptic devices for use with computer-assisted medical devices includes one or more processors and an input device coupled to a control unit configured to determine a reference point for the input device, select a virtual feed-back model (VFM) for the input device from among a plurality of VFMs configure parameters of the VFM, determine a position of the input device based on information from one or more sensors associated with the input device, determine a feedback level for the input device based on the reference point, the position, and the VFM, and send one or more feedback commands to one or more actuators associated with the input device based on the feedback level. In some embodiments, the VFM includes a transfer function that has one or more characteristics selected from unidirectional, bidirectional, linear, non-linear, asymmetric, symmetric, isotropic, non-isotropic, and hysteresis.
