The Animus is the device that reveals genetic memories in Assassin’s Creed.
In the series, the Animus allows a user to experience the memories encoded in their DNA. It does not literally send the user into the past; instead, it reconstructs ancestral experiences as an interactive simulation. This device connects the modern-day storyline with historical adventures.
Desmond Miles uses an Animus in the first games to access memories belonging to ancestors such as Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad and Ezio Auditore. Later stories introduce newer versions and related systems, including Abstergo’s commercial entertainment products and the Helix platform.
The Animus is often confused with Eagle Vision, which is a perceptive ability used by characters, or with the Leap of Faith, an assassination-world movement technique. Those are gameplay or narrative concepts, not the machine that accesses genetic memories.