The entire world seems to be facing a housing crisis driven by high costs. I suggest that you design a low cost housing solution that could be easily replicated anywhere in the world with readily available materials. I have seen proposals in this area using shipping containers, mud/earthen/clay construction, and other materials. The unit needs to be temperature controlled, ventilated, have adequate sunlight, kitchen, bathroom, etc. Try to figure out how to do this for $50,000 or less per unit and you may become famous. Good luck.

Specialize in furniture, and go to work for Ikea. Their meatballs are the bomb.

Would pill printing fall within that range? I'm not really entirely sure as to what you're looking for here honestly, but I have regretted the relative lack of progress in the area.

What about something related to Singapore's architecture in attempt to combine industrial looks with nature. Perhaps design a futuristic town or rebrand a city that is very polluted and transform it in something environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing like Singapore... or maybe design a skyscraper that traces its own carbon footprint or something.

If you can design something that would solve a problem the military faces, I'm sure you'd develop some interest from potential future employers with deep pockets.

A particular archaism that pisses me off are aircraft seats. Why the hard, knobbly arm rests? Why the cut-you-in-half seat belts? Why ash trays, for god's sake?

what about a wind turbine with another propeller on the pole :) 2 for the price of 1

There are a couple of problems facing the world. Environmental issues, space crunch and rising costs for nearly everything are some of the most discussed topics. If you could create a solution for say, the high costs of housing in metropolises by designing a low cost and environmentally friendly solution, you could attract a lot of interest.

On the other hand, if you are more interested in the futuristic aspects of engineering, the fields to choose from are transportation, infrastructure, military and of course computing. A project based on any of these should succeed.

And if all fails, simply turn in a Dyson sphere model, saying you don't have the resources to make a real one, but are not opposed to helping build one. ;)

Projectors of people. Like, a device you could place in the ground and someone could appear there in a virtual form and you could see it almost as if that person was actually there, i. e.: 3D, same height, same colors and same voice. I think you could really earn a lot of money with that.