Smart glasses could revolutionise mushroom foraging, say Joensuu researchers

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu are developing technology that could transform mushroom foraging by using smart glasses to highlight edible species in the forest, Yle reports.

The team, working with Ukraine’s Svitlana Kyrychenko, envisions glasses equipped with spectral imaging that would allow foragers to distinguish mushrooms like chanterelles from surrounding foliage with greater ease. Early tests show the method can identify chanterelles with 88% balanced accuracy, a metric accounting for uneven sample sizes.

Spectral cameras detect light wavelengths far beyond human vision, including infrared, making it possible to isolate specific mushroom species in an image. While the technology could theoretically be adapted for smartphones, Kyrychenko notes that glasses would be more practical, freeing the hands for picking.

The approach has limitations—mushrooms completely obscured by leaves or moss may go undetected. Still, researchers believe the system could triple foraging efficiency, though they caution that more data and funding are needed before any commercial product reaches the market.

Kyrychenko, a master’s student who has studied in Finland, Norway, and France, began her research after moving to Joensuu and recognising the unique value of Finland’s wild mushrooms, particularly the high demand for chanterelles in Italy.