A dripper detection device for an irrigation pipe manufacturing system includes a continuous pipe feeder capable of making a pipe equipped with drippers, each dripper having a water outlet. The pipe circulates along a predetermined circulation direction (X-X′) while keeping the drippers' water outlets in a predetermined orientation. The dripper detection device includes a laser detection unit with a laser source emitting a laser beam directed to the pipe outer face location where drippers are present at regular intervals, and a laser signal receiver which receives and analyses the laser beam reflected on the pipe outer face to provide a transformed reflected signal which contains information about the passage of each dripper facing said laser detection unit.