In Assassin’s Creed lore, the machine that lets users relive genetic memories is called the Animus.
The Animus is a fictional device developed by Abstergo Industries, the modern organization associated with the Templars. It allows a person to access memories inherited from ancestors through DNA, providing the framing device for the historical adventures.
Desmond Miles is the first major character shown using the Animus in the original game. Later installments depict different versions, including commercial systems connected to Abstergo’s Helix entertainment platform.
The series uses the Animus to explain how modern characters can experience events in different historical periods. It is not time travel: users relive recorded ancestral memories, while the present-day plot continues outside the simulation.