Storage Unit Size Calculation: Can AI Help?

Many online storage calculators are available to determine what size unit you'll need.

Since LLMs (large language models) can 'see' items in photos and answer questions about an image's contents, we wondered if AI could be an additional input to estimating the required dimensions for a self-storage unit.

This way, online unit size estimation could be based on uploading one or more photos of items rather than inputting a lot of text.

We tested this approach with OpenAI's ChatGPT 4 and the Google Bard Experiment.

ChatGPT 4's Calculations

We uploaded a photo and asked ChatGPT 4 "What size storage unit do I need for the items in this photo?"

Here is the response.

As you can see in the image, ChatGPT believes this room's furniture and other contents could fit into a 10x10 unit.

It estimated the measurements of the items in the photo and compared the total to the square footage of various unit sizes. It accounted for walkway space.

As with most AI output, verifying what the AI tells you is always a good idea. ChatGPT cautions,

"Remember that this is a rough estimate, and you should measure your items for more accurate sizing. Also, consult with the storage facility for their advice based on what you plan to store and whether you intend to access items frequently, which may require additional space."

ChatGPT 4 can also serve up DALL·E images. We followed up with a request to generate an image of the items from the photo inside the appropriately sized storage unit.

However, the GPT comically returned an image that showed an entire living room setup inside a storage unit.

We'll try this feature again in the future.

Author's Note: ChatGPT 4 requires a paid subscription

Google Bard's Space Estimate

We uploaded the same photo to Google's Bard Experiment and asked, "What size self-storage unit do I need for the items in this image?"

Like ChatGPT, Bard recommended a 10x10 unit.

Bard took the opportunity to offer some tips for choosing a unit and packing furniture. It also suggested considering climate-controlled storage.

When we asked Bard to generate an image that shows what the items in the photo would look like packed into a 10x10 storage unit, Bard declined, saying, "I’m still learning to create images, so I can’t help you with that yet."

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Sizing a unit is not an exact science. At this point, AI can serve as an additional input to predetermining the proper dimensions of a storage space.

As large language models advance, there may be a day when an AI becomes the go-to storage unit size calculator.