Founding team from the Institute of Training Science and Sports Informatics receives EXIST funding
Cologne/Germany, March 24, 2025. In the world of dance, the recognition and perception of rhythm plays a crucial role. But not every dancer has a strong sense of rhythm right from the start. The first few months of dance lessons in particular can be frustrating for beginners. This is exactly where OnBeat comes in: an innovative learning app that enables users to perfect their sense of rhythm in a fun and efficient way.
In order to develop such a learning app, the Institute of Training Science and Sports Informatics (ITS) has acquired an EXIST grant of around 150,000 euros for one year, which is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and the European Social Fund.
The OnBeat app uses a real-time recognition algorithm to recognise the rhythm, which is supported by machine learning (ML) and provides feedback in auditory, visual and tactile form. This means that the app recognises in real time whether the dancers are moving correctly to the rhythm and gives the user immediate feedback – through sound, images or vibrations. This method is based on findings about how the brain perceives rhythm and turns learning rhythm into an interactive experience.
Through the integration of gamification, learner engagement is encouraged and they develop a ‘feel’ for the beat in a natural and enjoyable way. ‘OnBeat can become a ground-breaking approach to dance teaching, using cutting-edge technology and real-time feedback to facilitate learning while providing a motivating learning environment,’ explains Prof Daniel Memmert, Managing Director of the Institute of Training Science and Sports Informatics (ITS). As a mentor to the OnBeat team, he contributes his expertise from various current AI and ML projects funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
‘Our goal is to make learning with the app both intuitive and entertaining,’ says project manager Dr Ashwin Phatak, who completed his doctorate at ITS. Together with co-founder Justus Schlenger, who is currently doing his doctorate at ITS, as well as Juleana Villegas and Yago Caudet-Roca Garcia, the team brings together extensive knowledge in sports science, biology and full-stack development (development of the front end and back end of applications). All four are passionate dancers, which gives them a deep understanding of the needs of dance students.
The scientists see the primary market for OnBeat in the education sector. In schools and dance studios, the app could serve as a valuable tool for music and dance lessons. Dance schools could use the app to make training for beginners more efficient and motivating, thereby strengthening student loyalty. OnBeat has already received letters of intent from ten dance studios that have shown great interest in the app. According to the project team, this means that a potential market of around 1,000 customers has already been tapped. A group of influencers from the Latin American dance scene, which has a total of 600,000 followers, supports the OnBeat team on social media.
A board of advisors supports and advises the founders. It consists of Prof. Dr Daniel Memmert (Institute for Training Science and Sports Informatics, mentor), Sebastian Walter (CPO & Co-Founder at Mooncamp), Marion Steffen (Chancellor of the German Sport University Cologne) and Prof. Dr Claudia Steinberg (Institute for Dance and Movement Culture).
ImageSource
AI-generated, symbolic image of dancing and app