Dynamic visual cryptography for optical assessment of chaotic oscillations

•An optical technique is proposed for the assessment of chaotic oscillations.•The secret image is embedded into a single cover image.•Visual decoding is based on time average geometric moiré.

An optical experimental technique based on dynamic visual cryptography is proposed for the optical assessment of chaotic oscillations. The secret image is embedded into a single cover image which is fixed onto the surface of the oscillating structure. It is demonstrated that this visual scheme is applicable for the assessment of chaotic oscillations even though time-averaged moiré fringes do not form when the encoded cover image is oscillated by the chaotic law. The decoding process is completely visual – a simple visual inspection can be used to determine if the parameters of the chaotic oscillations are kept in the tolerated range.