A method for detecting an electrically and/or magnetically conductive object in a vicinity of a sensor head of a device, having the following steps: emitting a transmitting signal into the surroundings, receiving a received signal as a function of the transmitting signal and the characteristics of the object and the surroundings, analyzing a response signal formed from the received signal. According to the invention, the detection is controlled by providing a class system having a number of classes, which differ from one another in at least one object and/or surroundings characteristic, and classifying instantaneous object and/or surroundings characteristics as a function of the analyzed response signal in a class of the class system, and predefining detection characteristics which are preset in the classified class, a further response signal being detected using the predefined detection characteristics.