Image Encryption Scheme Based on Hyper-Chaotic Map and Self-Adaptive Diffusion

In the digital age, image encryption technology acts as a safeguard, preventing unauthorized access to images. This paper proposes an innovative image encryption scheme that integrates a novel 2D hyper-chaotic map with a newly developed self-adaptive diffusion method. The 2D hyper-chaotic map, namely the 2D-RA map, is designed by hybridizing the Rastrigin and Ackley functions. The chaotic performance of the 2D-RA map is validated through a series of measurements, including the Bifurcation Diagram, Lyapunov Exponent (LE), Initial Value Sensitivity, 0 - 1 Test, Correlation Dimension (CD), and Kolmogorov Entropy (KE). The results demonstrate that the chaotic performance of the 2D-RA map surpasses that of existing advanced chaotic functions. Additionally, the self-adaptive diffusion method is employed to enhance the uniformity of grayscale distribution. The performance of the image encryption scheme is evaluated using a series of indicators. The results show that the proposed image encryption scheme significantly outperforms current state-of-the-art image encryption techniques.