Abstract: A map representation method with an effective map building mechanism for representation of ruins environments is presented. Based on the hybrid metric-topological map representation, the ruins environment is described at different levels, according to the morphological characteristics in the interior of ruins environments after a seismic disaster. The whole environment is described on the basis of the global topological map, to ensure the system computing capability, ambient adaptability and friendly interaction, while building a local metric map at each topological node region, to represent clearly the irregular obstacle formed by a destructive pattern. The experiments in an artificial ruins environment demonstrate that the method can realize the simultaneous localization and mapping in complex environment, which indicates the feasibility and validity of the algorithm in practical search and rescue fields.