Robotic guide for slender elongated medical device (SEMD) includes first and a second guide mechanisms, each including a pair of adjacent control plates. First and second transverse guide slots defined in pairs of adjacent control plates control a position of an SEMD guide having a spherical outer bearing surface. The guide position is controlled by selectively varying a relative position of the adjacent control plates, whereby robotic control is obtained over both a lateral displacement of an SEMD axis and an insertion angle of an SEMD alignment axis.