Abstract: A dispenser for roll toweling and the like includes a housing having an aperture. A roll of toweling is rotatably mounted within the housing, a drive system cooperates with the roll for causing the roll to rotate so that toweling is dispensed through the aperture. A non-contact passive sense system is operably associated with the drive system for monitoring that portion of the infrared spectrum associated with animate bodies so that the presence of an animate body may be detected, and for causing selective operation of the drive system upon the animate body being detected.