The invention discloses a cockpit instrument automatic recognizing and detecting method, which comprises the following steps that instrument images are read; the images are sampled; nonlinear vector median filters are adopted for carrying out noise reduction processing on the images; overall and local threshold value methods are combined, instrument images are subjected to binaryzation, and binaryzation images are obtained; the images are refined, pointers are accurately detected, and the pointers subjected to refining processing become single pixel width pointers. The cockpit instrument automatic recognizing and detecting method has the advantages that an improved crossed visual model is utilized, and instrument edges are extracted; according to priori knowledge, the study training is carried out, similar features are found, and instruments are subjected to classified comparison; a gradient method is utilized, and the angle of the pointers is calculated; through the angle, the numerical value is calculated by combing the priori knowledge, and in addition, the storage display is carried out. Cockpit instruments are completely and automatically recognized and detected, the manual intervention is not needed, manpower resources can be greatly reduced, errors caused by subjective factors are avoided, and the cockpit instrument automatic recognizing and detecting method with good performance is provided.