The invention is a method to predict the type of deformation of an object as elastic, plastic or fracture from a time series of specklegram patterns or fringe patterns (the difference of specklegrams). From the recorded patterns, a velocity vector field is calculated. The behavior of the velocity vector, as it evolves in time or space, is used to predict the deformation type. Fracture is predicted at a particular spatial location if the velocity vector file shows the dominate wavelength (or period) as increasing over time at that particular point. Plastic deformation is predicted at a particular spatial location if the maximum excursion of the velocity vector field at that particular location is decaying or distortion tensor parameters begin to depend on locations (they are different at different locations). Elastic deformation is predicted at a particular point if the maximum excursion of the velocity vector filed is approximately constant over time at the particular point or the distortion tensor parameters are constant (do not vary among different locations).