PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pupil detection apparatus and the like for detecting a pupil by simple processing.SOLUTION: The pupil detection apparatus includes: an imaging part for capturing an image including a pupil of a person; and a control part for extracting the pupil of the person from the image captured by the imaging part. The control part includes: a pattern matching part that matches a pattern corresponding to luminance changes in the pupil and a periphery of the pupil, with the image, and extracts candidate positions of the pupil; and a pupil detection part for analyzing the candidate positions of the pupil extracted by the pattern matching part and detecting whether or not the pupil is present thereon.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4【課題】簡単な処理で瞳孔を検出する瞳孔検出装置等を提供する。【解決手段】人物の瞳孔を含む画像を撮像する撮像部と、撮像部が取得した画像から人物の瞳孔を抽出する制御部と、を有し、制御部は、瞳孔と瞳孔の周囲の輝度変化に対応するパターンと画像とのマッチングを行い、瞳孔の候補位置を抽出するパターンマッチング部と、パターンマッチング部で抽出した瞳孔の候補位置を解析し、瞳孔があるかを検出する瞳孔検出部と、を有する。【選択図】図4