A system for touchlessly dispensing ice, the system comprising: a dispense chute configured to direct dispensed ice therethrough to a dispense area ; a housing positioned between the dispense chute and a back wall that at least partially defines the dispense area ; a visual feedback device configured to present a visual indication of an operational status of the system; characterized by further comprising: a sensor located within the housing, the sensor configured to produce a cone beam within the dispense area , a center line of the cone beam angled relative to the vertical into the dispense area, and the sensor is configured to provide a signal indicative of a proximity of an object within the beam to the sensor; a controller configured to receive the signal from the sensor , to determine the proximity of the object to the sensor from the signal, to operate the system to initiate a dispense of ice through the dispense chute based upon the determined proximity of the object, to operate the visual feedback device to present a visual indication of the initiated ice dispense, the controller is further configured to determine a distance of the object from the back wall from the signal, to compare the distance of the object from the back wall to a threshold distance between the back wall and a center point of the dispense chute, and to end the dispense of ice when the distance of the object from the back wall reaches the threshold distance. a dispense chute configured to direct dispensed ice therethrough to a dispense area ; a housing positioned between the dispense chute and a back wall that at least partially defines the dispense area ; a visual feedback device configured to present a visual indication of an operational status of the system; characterized by further comprising: a sensor located within the housing, the sensor configured to produce a cone beam within the dispense area , a center line of the cone beam angled relative to the vertical into the dispense area, and the sensor is configured to provide a signal indicative of a proximity of an object within the beam to the sensor; a controller configured to receive the signal from the sensor , to determine the proximity of the object to the sensor from the signal, to operate the system to initiate a dispense of ice through the dispense chute based upon the determined proximity of the object, to operate the visual feedback device to present a visual indication of the initiated ice dispense, the controller is further configured to determine a distance of the object from the back wall from the signal, to compare the distance of the object from the back wall to a threshold distance between the back wall and a center point of the dispense chute, and to end the dispense of ice when the distance of the object from the back wall reaches the threshold distance. a sensor located within the housing, the sensor configured to produce a cone beam within the dispense area , a center line of the cone beam angled relative to the vertical into the dispense area, and the sensor is configured to provide a signal indicative of a proximity of an object within the beam to the sensor; a controller configured to receive the signal from the sensor , to determine the proximity of the object to the sensor from the signal, to operate the system to initiate a dispense of ice through the dispense chute based upon the determined proximity of the object, to operate the visual feedback device to present a visual indication of the initiated ice dispense, the controller is further configured to determine a distance of the object from the back wall from the signal, to compare the distance of the object from the back wall to a threshold distance between the back wall and a center point of the dispense chute, and to end the dispense of ice when the distance of the object from the back wall reaches the threshold distance. <EOS>