Method for distinguishing objects in a video image by using infrared reflective material

A motor vehicle (10) has a video system that analyzes images of the interior of the motor vehicle to detect certain characteristics for controlling functions of the motor vehicle, such as detecting the presence of a person on the seat to control deployment of air bags (20) in the event of a crash. The system employs infrared light to illuminate the vehicle interior without affecting the driver's ability to see the highway. In order to distinguish different objects in the image which have similar colors, such as a person dressed in black sitting on a black seat, a selected object, such as the seat, are coated with a substance that alters the object's reflectivity to infrared light, while not changing the reflectivity to visible light. Thus analysis of the infrared image can distinguish between the objects without affecting the appearance of the vehicle interior to a human user.