The modern-day device called the Animus in the Assassin's Creed series allows users to experience genetic memories. It is a fictional machine developed from research into human genetic memory and is central to the series' method of connecting modern characters with historical lives.
In the original games, Desmond Miles uses the Animus to relive memories from ancestors such as Altaïr and Ezio. The device provides the narrative explanation for visiting historical settings while keeping a modern storyline active outside them. Later games introduce different Animus models, commercial applications, and related systems.
The Helix is a separate entertainment platform and fictional product associated with later games, especially Unity and Syndicate. Eagle Vision is an Assassin ability that helps identify people and objects, while an Apple of Eden is an ancient Isu artifact. None of those terms names the memory-simulation machine.