The virtual-reality machine in Assassin's Creed is called the Animus.
The Animus lets a modern user experience genetic memories inherited from ancestors. In the series, this technology provides the framework for visiting historical periods while the modern-day character remains connected to the machine.
Desmond Miles is the best-known early Animus user, experiencing the lives of ancestors such as Altaïr and Ezio. Later games introduce other users and versions of the technology, including systems operated by Abstergo Industries and the Assassin Brotherhood.
The Animus is not the same as an Apple of Eden, which is an ancient Isu artifact, or the Bleeding Effect, which is a consequence of repeated memory synchronization. “Leap of Faith” is a recurring Assassin technique, not a machine.