The memory-reading machine in the Assassin's Creed series is called the Animus.
The Animus allows a user to access genetic memories inherited from ancestors. In the early games, Desmond Miles uses the machine while Abstergo Industries searches his memories for information connected to powerful Pieces of Eden. The device provides the narrative link between modern-day scenes and historical gameplay.
The series presents the Animus as a fictional combination of neuroscience, genetic-memory theory, and virtual historical reconstruction. Later stories introduce portable versions and related systems, including the Helix platform, which is a separate entertainment and research technology rather than the original machine itself.
Eagle Vision is an Assassin ability that helps identify people and objects, not a machine. An Apple of Eden is a Piece of Eden with mind-influencing powers. These terms are related to the universe but are not alternate names for the Animus.