APPARATUS FOR DETECTING AN OBJECT USING A DIFFERENTIAL IMAGE

An object detecting apparatus including an imaging section, an extracting section for extracting edge images from image signals supplied from the imaging section, a forming section for forming a differential image between a first edge image extracted from an image signal that has been picked up for an object at a certain time and a second edge image extracted from an image signal that has been picked up for the same object at a later time, and a detecting section for detecting the object on the basis of the differential image. With the object detecting apparatus, portions of a background without motion that are contained in the edge images are eliminated to produce edge images that only relate to the object that is substantially in motion. As a result, information can be efficiently obtained that relates to the state, position and otherwise of the object in motion.