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The one noticeable difference though this time around: a much greener group of recipients.

"One of the trends we're really seeing this year is so many engineers are really looking for ways to do things that work with energy, help the Third World, address global warming," said James Meigs of Popular Mechanics Magazine. "So it's a real theme this year and it probably reflects our interest, but also what's going on in the world of engineering."

One of the winners was the creator of a 300-mile per gallon Aptera car, which developers say also releases zero harmful emissions.

"You put gasoline in a generator that actually runs to recharge your batteries as you drive, essentially extending the range," said Chris Anthony of Aptera Motors. "The cameras all around replace rear view mirrors. The total aerodynamic drag on our car is actually less than a side-view mirror on a full-size pickup truck."

There are even solar cells on top to help power the air conditioning.

While many of the products are cleaner for the environment, one of the winning products is something that cleans parts of the environment already polluted – almost if by magic.

"It's called PUR," explained developer Dr. Greg Allgood. "It's a little packet and it purifies the water. It removes the dirt and worms from water and kills the bacteria and viruses. You let that settle to the bottom, pour it through a cloth, and 20 minutes later, it's safe to drink. The reason we developed it is for the developing world, because 4,000 children die every day from diarrhea cause by drinking unsafe drinking water."

Another winner is a silicon chip that could drastically help fight cancer. By detecting tumors before symptoms show up, it allows doctors to start treatment much earlier.

"So if a patient walks into a clinic and wants to know if he has a cancer or not, he could do it by a simple blood test," said Dr. Sunitha Nagrath of Massachusetts General Hospital. "So you draw the blood from the patient and put through the chip, so it's like a mesh of posts, which the blood goes through, and the cancer cells get specifically captured on the chip."

Clinical trials are already underway.

All of the other "breakthroughs" are also either being used today or are scheduled for full-scale production within just the next few years.