Research on the Mechanism of the Multimodal Sustained Usage of Sport Drones from the Perspective of the Low-Altitude Economy

Against the backdrop of the low-altitude economy, with the widespread application of drones in sports scenarios, the driving mechanism of users’ long-term usage intention has become a key issue in technology adoption research. To investigate the critical factors influencing the continuous use of drone products by sports-involved populations, this study builds a factor model for users’ continuous use of drones. It is based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, integrating the UTAUT2 model and specific user needs in sports scenarios. Both traditional structural equation modeling (SEM) and Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM) are employed for empirical testing. Through the analysis of 297 valid questionnaire responses, it is found that the Bayesian approach yields a better fit. Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence, Facilitating Conditions, Hedonic Motivation, Safety and Environmental Compatibility all exert significant positive impacts on users’ continuous usage intention, with Effort Expectancy having the most prominent influence. On this basis, service strategies for drone brands are proposed to support product design and service provision. This study preliminarily indicates that Bayesian analysis possesses advantages and potential in this field. Meanwhile, the factor model for users’ long-term drone usage can meet the development needs in sports scenarios, and it has strong feasibility as a design model for users’ long-term drone usage.