In order to meet the requirement of compact type and lightweight for spectral imaging system in airborne and satellite platform, and to overcome the limitations of optical splitting system in current spectral imaging technology such as complex structure and high cost, for the first time we present the design of spectral imaging based on quantum dots. In this method, a strip of quantum dots array is placed in front of the focal plane of telescope lens and absorption properties of quantum dots materials is applied to modulate the incident spectrum of the target, then least square method is applied to establish the spectral reconstruction model of the target. Finally, the spectral and spatial information of the target is obtained with the method of push broom and spectral reconstruction. The quantum dots spectral imaging technology has the advantages of high spectral resolution, high energy availability, small size, wide spectral range and low cost. More important, the effects of different spectral intervals and noises on the reconstructed spectral resolution and their impact on the accuracy or distortion of the reconstructed spectra are analyzed. The results show that the spectral resolution increases with the decrease of the spectral interval, and the accuracy and resolution of the reconstructed spectrum are reduced with the increase of the noise level. What's more, the accuracy of reconstruction can be improved by appropriately increasing the spectral interval. With a comparison of the simulation results with the known data cube, the feasibility of the technology is verified, and the results show that the quantum dots spectral imaging possesses higher quality. In conclusion, quantum dots provide a new approach for spectral imaging technology, which has wide applications in the field of aerospace and other miniature spectral remote sensing.