1. A method for automatically detecting and tracking the contour of a starting image, said starting image being formed by an array of pixels and each pixel having an intensity, being n and m coordinates of a generic pixel, comprising the steps of: filtering said starting image through an absolute central moment e(n,m) of the intensity of the pixels of said starting image, wherein said absolute central moment is obtained with the following steps: determining for each n,m a local mean calculated on a neighborhood about a pixel of coordinates n,m of the starting image, obtaining a first filtered image; determining for each n,m a sum of absolute differences between the intensity of the pixel having coordinates n,m of the first filtered image and the intensity of all the pixels contained in a neighborhood about said pixel of coordinates n,m of either said starting image or a second filtered image derived from said starting image, wherein said sum of absolute differences is split calculating a sum of positive differences, or positive deviation, and a sum of negative differences, or negative deviation.