A sensor having an array of photo sensitive elements for acquiring images of the passenger compartment in a motor vehicle and a circuit for processing the signals corresponding to the images generated by said photo sensitive elements. The processing circuit is configured according to a cellular neural network processing architecture of the image signals and can generate an output signal indicating the decision on whether to deploy an airbag to which the sensor is associated or to control the explosion of the airbag. Preferably, the photo sensitive array and the processing circuit are comprised on a single integrated component, preferably implementing CMOS technology.