Expandable autonomous storage and retrieval tower

An autonomous storage and retrieval unit with dynamic resizing of available space, comprising:

• a housing;
• at least one computing device in communication with one or more databases that are configured to store at least one item file associated with the at least one physical item and rules for organizing physical item storage within the housing;
• an assignment module executable by the computing device, the assignment module when executed:
• receives an identifier associated with an inbound physical item to be stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit;
• retrieves, from the one or more databases, a first item file associated with the identifier, wherein the first item file has a first item dimension attribute associated with the inbound physical item;
• retrieves a plurality of item files associated with a plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit, wherein the plurality of item files include item dimension attributes associated with the plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit;
• analyzes an amount of available space in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit based on the first item dimension attribute and the item dimension attributes associated with the plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit;
• and
• if the assignment module identifies, based on the analysis, a lack of available space in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit to store the inbound physical item, the assignment module performs at least one action based on the rules to store the in-bound physical item within the autonomous storage and retrieval unit or within a different autonomous storage and retrieval unit.