1. A method for automated detection of pipe in a drilling operation comprising: obtaining one or a plurality of data sets or images representing the pipe area, using one or a plurality of sensors, the data sets or images representing 3D images of the drilling operation; eliminating the surroundings around the pipe from the data sets or images; identifying the pipe in the data sets or images by processing the data sets or images; and guiding a pipe handling means using either a calculated stickup height of the identified pipe for engaging the pipe, or a computed distance between the sensors and a mouse hole for a moving operation of the pipe, as an input parameter.