An object recognition device for detecting at least one, in particular moving, object, preferably provided by a vehicle occupant or in the form of at least part of the vehicle occupant, in the interior of a motor vehicle, comprising: a camera system comprising at least one sensor for converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical signals and a lighting apparatus having at least one light source and an optics system; and a control or regulating apparatus which is adapted to receive the electrical signals from the camera system and/or data from at least one sensor, at least one further device, and/or at least one apparatus of the motor vehicle, to generate control commands and to transmit them to the camera system, the further device, and/or the apparatus of the motor vehicle; characterized in that the lighting apparatus can illuminate specific regions, in particular a near field and a far field, in the motor vehicle by at least one optical element (5-5"") of the optics system and/or at least one additional lighting apparatus and/or an additional camera system, each preferably positioned in the vicinity of the object, such that at least one piece of distance information contained in the electrical signals can be detected by the camera system for a plurality of object points in the regions, wherein the illumination, the object localization and/or the object recognition, and/or the activation of at least one of the lighting apparatuses (2, 16) and/or camera systems is/are determined by the state of the motor vehicle, determined by speed, acceleration, vehicle seat occupancy, vehicle seat position, vehicle seat orientation, and/or lighting, in particular the lighting of the vehicle interior, and/or by the state of the environment of the motor vehicle, determined by weather, day, night, the roadway, traffic signs, and/or a traffic situation, wherein • the object recognition device comprises a computer or control unit adapted to evaluate the electrical signals and/or the data by an object localization algorithm and/or an object recognition algorithm, and/or • the control or regulating apparatus is adapted to control and/or coordinate the camera system, the additional camera system, the lighting apparatus of the camera system, the additional lighting apparatus, the lighting apparatus of the additional camera system, at least one sensor, the apparatus, and/or the device. a camera system comprising at least one sensor for converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical signals and a lighting apparatus having at least one light source and an optics system; and a control or regulating apparatus which is adapted to receive the electrical signals from the camera system and/or data from at least one sensor, at least one further device, and/or at least one apparatus of the motor vehicle, to generate control commands and to transmit them to the camera system, the further device, and/or the apparatus of the motor vehicle; characterized in that the lighting apparatus can illuminate specific regions, in particular a near field and a far field, in the motor vehicle by at least one optical element (5-5"") of the optics system and/or at least one additional lighting apparatus and/or an additional camera system, each preferably positioned in the vicinity of the object, such that at least one piece of distance information contained in the electrical signals can be detected by the camera system for a plurality of object points in the regions, wherein the illumination, the object localization and/or the object recognition, and/or the activation of at least one of the lighting apparatuses (2, 16) and/or camera systems is/are determined by the state of the motor vehicle, determined by speed, acceleration, vehicle seat occupancy, vehicle seat position, vehicle seat orientation, and/or lighting, in particular the lighting of the vehicle interior, and/or by the state of the environment of the motor vehicle, determined by weather, day, night, the roadway, traffic signs, and/or a traffic situation, wherein • the object recognition device comprises a computer or control unit adapted to evaluate the electrical signals and/or the data by an object localization algorithm and/or an object recognition algorithm, and/or • the control or regulating apparatus is adapted to control and/or coordinate the camera system, the additional camera system, the lighting apparatus of the camera system, the additional lighting apparatus, the lighting apparatus of the additional camera system, at least one sensor, the apparatus, and/or the device. • the object recognition device comprises a computer or control unit adapted to evaluate the electrical signals and/or the data by an object localization algorithm and/or an object recognition algorithm, and/or • the control or regulating apparatus is adapted to control and/or coordinate the camera system, the additional camera system, the lighting apparatus of the camera system, the additional lighting apparatus, the lighting apparatus of the additional camera system, at least one sensor, the apparatus, and/or the device.